Dead For Real
by ehee
Summary: Sookie has a disturbing meeting with Bubba, and things are heating up in Felipe de Castro's Louisiana. With danger lurking around the corner, will Eric and Sookie find time for their "Talk?" Spoilers for all 8 books. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N – This is my first fanfic, so please bear with me! I'm still working on the story line, but I wanted to get this first chapter out and "test the waters" so to speak. All criticism is greatly appreciated!

I don't own the characters, except maybe a few original ones added later to enhance the story. They are Ms. Harris' property and I hope she doesn't mind me taking them for a spin around the block!

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CHAPTER 1

"Bye, Sam" I called as I walked through the employee parking lot toward my car. Even though Merlotte's hadn't been particularly busy tonight, I was still glad my shift was done and I was heading home. I was bone tired and wanted nothing more than my bed.

"Later, Sook" Sam answered back as he headed to his double wide behind the bar. Even though Sam was my boss, he was also one of my best friends. He had helped me through some pretty rough stuff and I knew I could always count on him to be there if I needed someone.

I opened the door of my not-so-gently-used car and flopped down into the driver's seat, the engine sputtering to life as I turned the key in the ignition. I drove around the building through the empty parking lot and pulled onto the highway toward home. The car windows were down and the warm night air whirled around me as I drove, whipping my ponytail back and forth against my neck. The radio was tuned to a soft rock station and I hummed along to the music as I drove.

It was just a short drive from Sam Merlotte's bar to Gran's house (well, it was really my house now, but part of me will always think of it as Gran's house) and before I knew it I was turning off of Hummingbird Drive into my driveway. I pulled around to the back and shut the car off. I was secretly glad I had installed the safety lights at the back of the house – it always made me feel a little better to know that at least I would be able to see who was trying to kill me instead of meeting my death shrouded in ignorance.

I unlocked the back door and went straight to my room. Amelia had gone to New Orleans for a few days at her father's request (I wondered how _that_ was going) and Octavia was spending the night at her friend's house in Monroe, so I had the house all to myself tonight. Peeling off the white T-shirt and black shorts that was our regular summer uniform, I decided I would probably smell _and_ sleep better if I had a shower. I felt like I had a thousand pounds of bar ick caked all over me.

I turned on the shower and waited for the steam to start rolling out across the top of the curtain. I stepped under the spray and let the water cascade over me, little rivers of warmth running all down my body. Grabbing the soap and lathering myself up, my mind wandered back to what seemed like a thousand nights ago. I had begun my shower that night in the same fashion, but that's where the similarities ended. That night, the curtain had been pulled back and the most breathtaking, most delectable, most annoying, most undead Viking in all of Louisiana had stepped in with me. Until that night, I hadn't known soap could be so...so..._sexy_. My insides were like churning lava as I remembered Eric washing my body, drying my body, tasting my body, claiming my body...

I quickly finished my shower and toweled myself briskly, rubbing my skin with way more force than was really needed to dry off. As if that would somehow erase Louisiana's answer to heaven on earth (or heaven in bed, at the very least) from my mind. I rummaged through my chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of comfortable old jersey shorts and a big, baggy T-shirt. I grabbed a comb from the bathroom and proceeded through the house and out the front door to sit on the porch and comb the tangles out of my hair.

As I began to carefully work the comb through my snarled locks, my first thought was of Bill Compton and how he used to take great pleasure in combing my hair out for me after I had washed it. Bill was my first vampire, my first love (and lover), and my first heartbreak. _And my neighbor_, I said to myself glumly as I looked toward the cemetery that separated my house from his. I remembered the night he walked into Sam Merlotte's bar and my life. Until that night I had just been your average, run-of-the-mill telepathic barmaid. I was blissfully unaware that I had been leading a ho-hum existence until Bill introduced me to the world of vampires, Weres, and various and sundry supernatural beings. Now here I was, my mind doing a flip-flop dance with Bill and Eric, and I knew that wasn't good. _Man_, _I've got to get myself a hobby._

On a more serious note, I was puzzled and had more than hurt feelings that I had heard virtually nothing from Eric since Felipe de Castro's hostile takeover of Louisiana and Arkansas. I felt almost nothing of him through our blood bond, although I could tell the bond was still there. It was almost like a radio that you could see sitting on a shelf, but it wasn't turned on. I hadn't wanted it, had fought it actually, and now that it was in neutral gear I found myself...missing it?

I was just getting geared up to play an exhausting game of Eric Tug of War with myself when a rustling in the woods at the edge of the yard caught my ear. For a moment my skin turned to goose flesh and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I was prepared to bolt for the front door when a figure stepped out of the wooded darkness and said "Hi, Miss Sookie! Beautiful night, huh?"

"Bubba!" I called back weakly, releasing a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. "You gave me quite a start."

"I'm sorry, Miss Sookie," Bubba replied, looking chagrined. "It's just me. I was sent here by Mr. Eric to give you a message." He gave me a lopsided grin and his face had the self-satisfactory look of a seven year old that had just completed a top-secret spy mission. I giggled to myself at the thought of The Man From Memphis as a CIA operative.

"Well, why don't you come on up here to the porch and tell me about it?" Dealing with Bubba was like dealing with a small child, which was really quite a paradox when you considered, in his human life, this man's fan club included the entire planet.

Bubba lumbered through the yard and up the front steps. "Please sit down," I said, patting the empty space beside me on the porch swing. He looked hesitant at first then sat down beside me. "So, what is Eric's message and why did he ask you to deliver it to me instead of telling me himself?" I hoped I wasn't throwing too much too fast at Bubba – it certainly didn't pay to upset him.

"He told me to tell you he wants you to come to Fangtasia on Friday night.," Bubba recited. "He said to dress real nice, 'cause there's something special going on."

"Did he say what the 'something special' was, Bubba?" I quizzed. I was mildly irritated that I had heard nothing from Eric for weeks then here comes a command appearance out of the blue. _And he couldn't even do his own commanding!_

"No ma'am, just that you needed to be there, and he would send a car to pick you up at eight o'clock." I sat back in the swing and knitted my brows, still wondering what was up with all the cloak and dagger, but knowing I would get no more from Bubba on the subject. He was only good for a couple of items of information at one time, three tops.

His message having been delivered, I figured Bubba would jump up and take off back into the woods (he never was one to hang around for more than a few minutes) but he settled deeper into the swing and a look came over his face that gave me goose flesh all over again.

"You know, things aren't always what they seem, Sookie," he said quietly. My head snapped to attention on two counts: one, Bubba's voice had just taken on a most ominous tenor, and two, he never addressed me as just _Sookie, _without the "Miss" in front of it. I looked at his face and his eyes met mine with a clarity that made Baccarat crystal seem opaque. "Most folks only see what they want to see. I don't tell them any different because that's exactly how I want it."

_Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea!_ It's a good thing I had been sitting down, otherwise I would have been a crumpled heap on the porch. Shock, bewilderment, and a hundred other emotions hit my body like a runaway freight train, but I did my best to shove them down deep inside me. Knowing Bubba's history of instability, I didn't want an emotional outburst from me to trigger a tirade in him. I put on the best neutral face I could muster (I was pretty good, too, a talent I had perfected from years of trying to cover up my ability to read people's minds) and urged him to continue.

"I don't know how much you might know about my 'other life,' but it was pretty out of control before I...uh, until..._that night_. I didn't even feel like I was my own person any more. If I'da had to admit it beforehand, I honestly don't think I woulda minded just throwing in the towel and giving it all up."

I had to listen close, because at this point Bubba's voice was barely above a whisper. There was a kinda far-off look in his eyes, and I was so torqued I could barely move or breathe. I could tell all this had been bottled up inside him for over three decades, and it was like once the cork popped he couldn't stop the flow.

"Anyway," he continued, his slight drawl becoming more pronounced, "first thing I remember was waking up in one of those slide-out refrigerated drawers in an unused storage room in the morgue. The idiot who turned me – I don't know if I should be referring to him that way or not – went half crazy saying he didn't know if he shoulda done it, didn't know how he coulda been so stupid, hoping he wasn't gonna get staked for being so irresponsible, that he was just a fan and had panicked, hoping my transformation wouldn't be altered by...you know...uh, all the drugs..." Bubba actually looked a little embarrassed at this revelation, and I gently put a hand over his to let him know I wasn't going to judge how he had lived his human life. This seemed to give him the strength he needed to continue.

"The local vamps took me in, but I could tell they really didn't know what to do with me. I didn't say much at first because they were worried, like my maker, that all the drugs could have affected my 'coming over.' It was all new to me and I didn't know how I was supposed to feel or act. The more I thought about it those first few days, the more I knew that was exactly how it needed to happen. I decided I would act like all the drugs had messed up my mind, and it worked like a charm. Since I'd had no choice in what had happened, I thought maybe this could be a way to escape the traps of my other life.

"Before I knew it, I was being passed around from area to area, the entire southern vamp population taking care of me and looking after me. Because I was a new vampire and didn't have glamour yet, and because my face was so recognizable, other vamps would help me out with humans so I could, you know, feed." Bubba squirmed a little in the swing, and I gave his hand a little squeeze. I knew this revelation, while cathartic, must be terribly painful for him. "When enough time had passed that they assumed I could use glamour, they stopped helping. But, the glamour never happened for me, even to this day. I guess maybe all the drugs _did_ have an effect, after all. Anyway, since I can't glamour humans for blood, I had to either drink the bottled stuff, which, by the way, is worse than elephant piss, (_I stifled a giggle at this analogy_) or do animals." He made a mildly disgusted look with his face. "For whatever reason, cats tasted less horrible than the others, so I kinda stuck with them. Which, I guess in the end has helped me in my charade."

"So all of this is just an act?" I wasn't sure whether I had voiced a question or a statement. My mind was still trying to get a handle on what I'd just heard. I hesitated for a moment before asking the obvious question, but I decided that since Bubba had opened the floodgates of honesty, I might as well dive in myself. "Why?"

The warm night breeze blew a lock of Bubba's black hair down over his forehead and for a moment, other than being about twenty shades paler, I was looking at The King as he once was in all his human glory. He leaned back in the swing, and if he were still human I imagine he would have taken a deep breath.

"It didn't take me long to learn that folks, both vamps and humans, seemed more relaxed around me knowing I was 'less' than what I was when I was human. My mama always told me you learned more by listening than you did by talking, so that's what I did. And people have given up lots of secrets around me because they didn't think it mattered one way or the other if I heard 'em." He paused there before going on, and in his silence I could hear the crickets chirping, the breeze rustling the leaves on the trees at the edge of the yard and, somewhere in the distance, an owl softly hooting.

"That's why I told you my story, Sookie. Since that first night Bill asked me to guard your house, I knew there was something special 'bout you. Something a lot of folks couldn't see. But _I_ knew." He turned around in the swing so he could face me directly. His face now had a look of urgency and somehow I just knew what was coming next couldn't be good.

"You've been through a lot since I first met you, and you have managed to survive so far. Lord only knows how, but you have. But really bad things are gonna happen, Sookie, I hear the rumblings. Victor Madden's up to something...something evil and destructive, but I'm just not sure what. I wanted to come here and warn you, but I didn't know if you were being watched." Bubba's voice had an almost conspiratorial tone now. "When I heard Eric say he needed to get a message to you, I volunteered." His eyes narrowed and he leaned closer to me as he continued his warning.

"I'll keep my ears open, but you gotta be careful. Until I know what's going on for sure, anyone's a potential target, especially you. You're not a supe, so you can't defend yourself the way the others can. I'll keep you posted as best I can. I can't stand by any more and not say anything. I don't wanna see you hurt any more than you already have been." Bubba stood up to leave and I stood up, too, and walked with him to the steps.

He turned around at the edge of the porch and threw his arms around me in a big, unvampirelike hug. My eyebrows almost met my hairline in surprise. Then it dawned on me: _in case_ _someone_ is _watching the house_. "You can't let anyone know my secret," he whispered in my ear. "I'd be dead for real if someone found out." With that, he gave me a little squeeze and sprinted down the steps.

He turned and waved when he reached the woods at the edge of the yard, a big Bubba grin all over his face. "Bye, Miss Sookie. I'll tell Mr. Eric you'll see him on Friday!"

"You do that, Bubba," I called back from the porch. And just like that, he disappeared into the darkness.

I turned around and went back into the house, taking care to lock the deadbolt after I closed the front door. _Whoo boy_, I thought as I leaned against the door. _Eric is gonna effing freak if he finds out about Bubba_. I was glad our bond was in "downtime" mode, because I didn't even want to think about what would happen if he could feel tonight's events. I was, however, going to have to call him about his demands for Friday night. I didn't want him to get the impression that I was always at his beck and call. _A beck-and-call girl_...I giggled at the mental image. Somehow, I didn't think Eric would think it was too funny.

After shutting off the lamp that was burning in the living room, I made my way down the hall to my bedroom. I climbed into bed, thinking about Bubba and his own personal Great Revelation, all the times he had stood watch over my house, and silently thanked God I didn't have a cat.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: First, I want to thank everyone for your feedback and words of encouragement. You have given me the courage I needed to step outisde the box and continue my story. The plot is still a work in progress, but I'll update as often as I can. I hope everyone is enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it!

Second, I know this chapter doesn't follow the same format as the first. Eric spoke to me in the shower this morning (YUM!) and said he really, really, wanted to get some things off his chest -- and what a chest it is! (Eyebrow waggling going on here!) Anyway, the characters have said that while Sookie will always have center stage, the storyline may require a soliloquy from one of them from time to time, just to keep things in perspective.

As always, the characters belong to Ms. Harris, and she has my gratitude for allowing me to expand their horizons.

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CHAPTER 2

Eric sat alone in his regular booth against the wall, watching the bar patrons come and go. His face was a blank canvas, but his eyes missed nothing. The Wednesday night crowd at Fangtasia was pretty much the same as any other Wednesday. WDED, the local vamp radio station, was blasting "Night Moves" over the speaker system; a few of the vamp regulars were milling around, some of them sipping TrueBloods and scoping out the crowd in search of the "real thing;" as always, the fangbangers, most of them dressed in goth, were out _en masse_, practically throwing themselves at any vamp who would give them a second glance. Pam was at the door tonight, dressed for effect in a gauzy black gown; some substitute Pam had hired was behind the bar (he wasn't even for sure of his name,) doling out drinks and trying not to look bored.

He didn't much feel like posing for the masses in his chair on the platform tonight. Too many thoughts were running through his mind for him to be the blatant center of attention.

Much had happened of late in his little corner of Louisiana, and that didn't bode well with him. Sophie-Ann Leclerq, his former queen, had met a brutal end in a hostile takeover, along with her entourage and most of the area sheriffs as well. To avoid the same fate as Sophie-Ann, he'd sworn fealty to Felipe de Castro, the new King of Louisiana and Arkansas. He had no idea what de Castro was planning to send down the pike, and that upset him greatly. He knew his position, and even his very existence, was hanging by a very delicate, very fragile thread. As deeply rooted as he was in vamp politics, after a thousand years it was beginning to wear on him. He just wanted to be left alone to run Fangtasia and Area Five.

But what bothered him most of all was the bond – the blood bond. When he'd told her they needed to talk, he wasn't even sure what he wanted to tell her. The past few weeks he'd had to pour way too much energy into shutting the bond down so she wouldn't feel his inner turmoil. He couldn't bring himself to break the bond completely; by doing so, he felt like he would somehow break himself in the process. In all of his ten centuries of existence, he had never let himself get this close to anyone, let alone a human. That had been necessary for his own survival. _How could I let something like this happen to me? Why couldn't I see it coming?_ He thought he truly was above such things. Now he was hurling himself full speed into something he knew could ultimately be the (final) death of him.

_Humans are frail, piteous blood bags, good for nothing more than a feed and a fuck_, he thought to himself. _Why should she be any different?_ Oh, but she was different. She was so different it made him ache just thinking about it. And it wasn't just the traces of fae blood coursing through her veins. (He closed his eyes and smiled for a brief moment when he thought of that sweetness he had tasted on so many occasions. The sweetness that could make him instantly grow hard and always left him wanting..._more_.) When he was with her, he could almost reach back to the days when he was human, back to the days when he was the eldest son of a Viking chieftain, sailing, warring, conquering...now all he cared about was conquering her heart.

That realization derailed his train of thought, and he gave himself a mental shove back into the present. This was an emotion too close to human for his liking. He wasn't human, he was Vampire, and a damn powerful one at that.

He frowned, wondering what he was going to do about her; wondering if, in fact, he wanted to do anything about her at all. She was mortal, she was vulnerable, she needed protection. (As repayment for saving Felipe de Castro from Sigebert's wrath, she was officially protected by his regime. But he knew this protection hung in the precarious balance of vamp politics, and a thousand years of experience told him the balance could tip either way in the blink of a vampire eye.) She also charged head-on into danger without stopping to consider the consequences. When he looked at it from a practicality standpoint, she was one helluva liability. He risked himself, his status, and all those under him every time he came near her. He could cut all ties, sever the bond, and let the chips fall where they may. It would only be a matter of time before her involvement with vamp and Were politics, however involuntary it may be on her part, would take care of her and remove her from his world.

_But could it remove her from his heart?_ That question plagued him more than all the others. Mortal and vulnerable, yes. But she was also spirited, full of fire, and so...so... _human,_ that sometimes when he was around her, her humanness osmosed to him, filling the empty void in his chest that had once been a beating heart.

And what if he did pursue her, and perhaps even win her – what then? She was mortal, after all, and her entire lifetime would be nothing more than a paragraph in the saga of his long existence. Was he willing to watch her grow old, wither, and die a mortal's death? He could turn her – with her being so headstrong and full of fire, he knew she would make an exceptional vampire. The lust roiled up in him again at the thought of many centuries of nights filled with holding her, kissing her, fucking her...

But he knew that it was more than just fucking. Sure, the lust they had shared during the time she sheltered him when he wasn't himself was powerful. More powerful than he had ever felt with anyone, vamp or human. Now that he had regained the memories of the time he was cursed, he had replayed them over and over in his head, savoring each and every detail. But it went way beyond lust – he had felt something with her that he hadn't felt for a millennium, something he hadn't felt in his entire undead life.

He heaved a sigh, although breath wasn't necessary for his existence, thinking that it might somehow dissipate the heaviness in his chest. He knew deep down that, like it or not, he was bound to this woman, blood, heart and soul. He smiled inwardly at the thought of having a heart and soul, but knowing that if he did, they were hers.

He resigned himself to pursue her through the bond, to do everything in his power to make her _his_. He knew she abhorred the term, but he also knew that as sure as he wanted to make her _his_, he was also _hers_. He would think about the "turning" thing later. He knew she wanted to be vampire even less that she wanted to be _his_. That was OK for now. He would focus on winning her, protecting her, cherishing her. For now, he would graciously accept what time they did have together and fill it to capacity with his love for her. Yes, it _was_ love; he knew it as sure as he knew night followed day and day followed night. He sat back in the booth, closed his eyes and released his restraints on the bond.

_I am waiting for you, lover._


	3. Chapter 3

A/N - Thanks again to everyone for urging me to continue! Sorry I didn't get this chapter out sooner -- family obligations have kept me away for the past few days. Chapter 4 is in the works!

Special thanks go out to Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon, whose song "Can't Fight This Feeling" was the inspiration for this chapter.

As always, the characters belong to Ms. Harris, and she has my gratitude for allowing me to expand their horizons.

CHAPTER 3

_Whoooooosh_. My eyelids flew up like a window shade that had been pulled all the way down and then suddenly let go. _What the hell?_...one minute I had been in a deep, restful sleep and the next minute I felt like I was being poked with a cattle prod. My breath was coming in ragged little gasps and I wouldn't have been surprised to see my heart jump out of my chest and run out the bedroom door. I looked at the clock on the bedside table: two forty-seven a.m. "Holy crap," I said out loud to no one.

I sat up and turned on the little lamp beside my bed and my bedroom was bathed in a soft, yellowish-white light. I looked around, half expecting to see my room in shambles, but nothing appeared to be out of order. _Wow_, I thought to myself. The needle on my Weird-Shit-O-Meter was definitely pegged.

I leaned back into the pillows and took a few deep breaths to try and regain my composure. I concentrated on slowing my breathing and tried to will my heart back to a semi-normal pace. I closed my eyes and reached out with my mind...no trace of another being, either live or undead. _Thank God_.

All at once a flooding tide of calm washed over me, filling me with a warmth and peace I hadn't felt for weeks, maybe months. _The bond!_ It was back! I could feel it and I couldn't remember a time in my life when I had been so overjoyed. _Overjoyed?! _Tears rained down my face and I was laughing like a madwoman, all at the same time. Maybe I really was Crazy Sookie after all.

_I am waiting for you, lover._

I felt it and heard it as sure as if he had been lying next to me and whispered it in my ear. I closed my eyes and I could feel his breath (_wait_ – _he doesn't breathe!_) on my ear and neck as he spoke. All his love, all his passion, all his lifeforce surrounded me like my own private cocoon. He had remembered to throw a heaping helping of his lust in there, too. My whole body was tingling, and if I'd opened my eyes to look I was sure I would have seen little sparks flying off of my skin. I welcomed the warm liquidness that was now spreading through my core – it had been absent far too long. I was awestruck that he could reduce me to a quivering mass without even being anywhere near me.

I reached over and turned off the little bedside lamp, then sank deeper into the pillows, basking in the bond and its warm glow. I laid there in the darkness of my room for a little while, thinking about the reappearance of the bond and what it would mean to be tied to another, albeit undead, person. My gran had raised me to be independent and self-reliant, my own person. Having barely even dated, let alone have a steady boyfriend (at least, before Bill Compton had waltzed into my life), I had long ago resigned myself to a life of solitude; well, at least romantically. I mean, how creepy is it to be in the middle of some serious getting-it-on and realize your partner is wondering if you're blonde _all the way down? _I had thought (_briefly_, I glumly reminded myself) that maybe the relationship I had begun with Quinn would work out, but in the end he was as much of a shitheel as Bill. _Men: can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em._

I'd always harbored the idea of sharing my life with someone, but it had never really been anything but a glimmer of hope on a distant horizon. That idea now had major reality potential and that literally scared the shit out of me. Would being bonded to Eric mean that he would be able to control me, control my life? Would he expect me to quit my job, leave my family home in Bon Temps and move to Shreveport?

I had never been good at answering to anybody except maybe Gran and, hey, that was Gran. But Eric was a whole new ballgame, and I wasn't sure I wanted to play. My life may have been just average, but it was _my_ life, dammit, and I sure as hell didn't want anyone thinking they had the right to tell me how to live it.

Then there was all of Eric's crazy vampire shit, as I called it. I knew the relative calmness that followed Felipe's takeover of Louisiana and Arkansas was only surface-deep at best. (Bubba's warning earlier tonight had more than confirmed that.) Getting involved in vamp politics had gotten me beaten up, shot, staked, raped, kidnapped, and nearly drained to death. _Those vamps, they sure know how to show a girl a good time. HA!_ Eric was THE poster child for vamp politics, and if I let myself get hooked up with him for real I didn't know how many more good times my body could handle.

_Wait a minute,_ I thought to myself. _Who was the one person who had been there for me when I had been beaten up, shot, staked, raped, kidnapped, and nearly drained to death?_ It certainly hadn't been Bill, or Jason, or Pam, or even Sam. It had been Eric. Eric was always the one to pick up the pieces when my life crumbled around me – hells bells, he had even taken bullets for me. Not to mention giving me his blood (more than once) when I needed to heal. He had even saved me from a forced blood bonding with Andre, the late Sophie-Anne's second-in-command, offering himself instead as the lesser of the two evils; the offering that had made our blood bond permanent.

It was this lesser evil that now plagued my head and my heart. My head was telling me to run; run fast, far away from the danger Eric's world held for me. My heart, on the other hand, said if I would just surrender to the bond, Eric would be my protector, my friend, my lover...

But what would it cost me? What price was I going to have to pay for giving my heart away? _Been there, done that._ And the results weren't pretty. My heart had been handed back to me, smashed to bits; I still wasn't certain it was whole enough again to even consider giving it to someone else.

My brain and heart continued their war inside my body. I was still vulnerable, the wounds left by Bill and Quinn were far from healed. Eric had mended by body when it was broken. Could he mend my heart, too? What if he tried and failed? What would be left of me then? That was a possibility I didn't even want to consider. So many questions...would Eric have the answers I needed? I sighed to myself, knowing there was only one way to find out.

It was too late now to turn back. I knew, no matter what, that my destiny, the very essence of my soul, was with Eric. I shut my eyes tight and sent my own message back to him through the bond.

_I can't fight this feeling anymore. I've forgotten what I started fighting for._

_And if I have to crawl upon the floor, come crushing through your door,_

_Baby I can't fight this feeling anymore._

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

A/N - Thanks again for all of your words of encouragement! I'm having so much fun doing this! Many of you are urging me to continue, and I will update as often as possible. My grandmother has been hospitalized with heart problems and that is taking up much of my writing time. Rest assured, Chapter 5 is in the works, and I'll get it to you as quick as I can.

As always, the characters belong to Ms. Harris, and she has my gratitude for allowing me to expand their horizons.

CHAPTER 4

I woke bright and early on Thursday morning, in spite of having my sleep so deliciously interrupted the night before. I hadn't felt so rested, so light-hearted, so...so..._warm and fuzzy all over_ in ages (gag, I was icking my own self out.) The morning sun was shining brightly through my bedroom window and a chorus of birds was singing just outside. I wistfully thought of Eric and how we would never be able to share a moment like this. A beautiful early morning was meant to be savored, and it was made even sweeter when it was shared with someone you loved.

Well, that line of thinking was certainly going to put a damper on my good humor, so I hopped out of bed and headed to the kitchen to make coffee. Coffee was the universal fix-all: it perked up a good morning (guess I've hung around vamps long enough for their love of puns to rub off on me) and it tempered a bad one. While the coffee was brewing, I popped a couple of slices of cinnamon-raisin bread in the toaster. When the coffee and toast were finished, I poured a cup of one and spread some homemade apple butter (courtesy of Amelia) on the other.

I sat down at the kitchen table to eat my breakfast and plan my day. It was a good thing I had gotten up early because I was working the early shift at Merlotte's and had to be there at eleven. I thought about the Friday night party at Fangtasia and knew I needed something decent to wear. I sighed and thought about all the beautiful clothes I'd owned, all of which had been ruined because of one supe ruckus or another. Now it looked like I was going to have to make a flying trip to Tara's Togs before work and get yet another dress. I grimaced at the thought of having to spend good money on a dress that, if you were to lay down a bet in Vegas that it would be ruined before Friday night was over, you'd probably only get three-to-one odds at best. Since I was off work at six and the nail salon didn't close until eight, I would also have time for a mani/pedi after work. A working girl like me rarely spends her heard-earned cash on such indulgences, but I was just so caught up in the whirlwind of my emotions _(Thank You, Bond!)_ that I couldn't help myself.

My breakfast finished, I threw away the napkin that had held my toast and put my coffee cup in the sink, then headed down the hall to my bathroom for a quick shower. I dressed in my work uniform, knowing I wouldn't have time before work to come home and change after I went to Tara's. My makeup for the day was simply mascara and pink lip gloss. My face had such a glow that I didn't need anything else. _Wonder where that's coming from?_ I swept my hair up into a high ponytail, gave myself one last glance in the bathroom mirror and started for the back door.

Just as I was reaching for the doorknob, I heard a knock at the front door. I sat my purse and keys on the floor beside the back door and walked back through the house to answer. I looked through the window in the door and saw a girl who looked to be about my age standing on the porch, wearing a khaki-colored uniform shirt and slacks. Over her shoulder I could see a canary yellow Ford panel van with bold green and black lettering down the side: **D-S-S**, and underneath in smaller letters was **Delivery Specialists of Shreveport**_, _with a phone number below that._ A private courier? What was that all about?_

I opened the door and was greeted with a flashy smile. "Good morning! Are you Sookie Stackhouse?"

"Yes." I smiled back at her.

"I have a delivery for you." She handed me a long, flat box. "If you could just please sign on this line here?" She handed her clipboard and pen to me and pointed to the line where I was supposed to sign. I obliged her.

"Thanks! Have a great day!" She smiled as she retrieved her pen and clipboard, and trotted back to her van.

I walked back inside and headed to the kitchen. I sat the box on the kitchen table and inspected the outside. It was addressed to me, but that was the only writing on the outside. Apparently a private courier didn't need all the name tags, bar codes, and other paraphernalia required by the bigger guys. I grabbed a sharp knife from the kitchen drawer and sliced open the packing tape on the top of the box. I opened the lid to find an ivory-colored envelope lying on top of some tissue paper. I picked up the envelope, which was addressed to no one. The paper was a heavyweight bond and felt very elegant. I opened it up and removed the note that was inside. I immediately recognized Eric's bold handwriting.

_My lover,_

_I know from your past experiences with evening-wear that you are probably in need of suitable attire for tomorrow night's party. Please accept this gift as a token of my esteemed affection, and appreciation for what I know you can do for this dress. __I cannot wait to see how you look in – and out – of it._

_~ E_

I could actually visualize Eric's famous leer as he wrote the note. He was forever antagonizing me with endless sexual innuendos, and I bet he had jumped at the chance to get in a jab that I wasn't readily available to counter.

I laid the card aside and opened the tissue paper. Underneath was the most gorgeous cocktail dress I ever laid my eyes on. The material was soft, black, and silky-looking. I took it out of the box and held it up to get a better view. It was sleeveless and had a plunging neckline. The back was also cut into a V so low I feared I would get "plumber's syndrome" if I sat down. Little lines of sparkling rhinestones started from a central point under the left arm, midway down the ribs, and fanned out across the loosely gathered bodice from collar bone down to hipline on the right side. I held it up to me and the hem hit me mid-thigh; high enough to be sexy, but not short enough to be sleazy. I could tell just by looking that the dress was tailored to hug me in all the right places.

Included with the dress was the most amazing pair of shoes. They were black, of course, with three-inch stiletto heels. The tops consisted of a silver dollar-sized circle of small rhinestones with three thin straps of leather attached to each side of the circle, fanning out to each side and attaching to the sole. The shoes were held in place by thin, black leather straps that buckled around the ankle. They were sexily tasteful, but not tacky. I only hoped I didn't fall on my face when I tried to walk in them.

Tucked underneath all of this was a small, light blue box tied with a white bow. I untied the ribbon and opened the box. My breath left me. I was looking at a pair of diamond earrings that dreams were made of. A fine, inch-long platinum chain was attached to each of the two diamond ear studs. Dangling at the other end of each chain was a much larger, teardrop-shaped diamond, at least a carat's worth each.

And in the very bottom of the box, hiding in a corner, was a tiny black thong with a filmy front panel and lacy waistband. _My god, he hadn't left out a single detail._

My knees were suddenly weak and I had to sit down in a kitchen chair. After the shock of the earrings started to wear off, I began to feel a little perturbed at Eric's presumptuousness. _What on earth would make him think I could accept something like this?_ The dress and shoes were one thing; lord knows I'd had enough clothing ruined in the line of duty, but the earrings were way over the top. I vowed to leave them in the box and (gulping sigh) give them back to him. I wasn't going to give anyone reason to think I was a kept woman.

I carried my new outfit to my bedroom and carefully hung the dress in my closet. The shoes went on the closet floor, and I tucked the box with the earrings (along with the thong) in my panty drawer for safekeeping.

Well, now that I was already ready for work and didn't have to go to Tara's, I had a little free time on my hands before I had to report to Merlotte's. I gathered up a load of laundry and went to the back porch to put it in the washer. I also had time to stop by the library before going to work, so I grabbed a couple of books that were due back and headed out the back door.

I guided my car down the driveway through the woods that separated my house from the road, turned onto Hummingbird Drive and headed to town. I hummed along with the radio (did I mention I love music?), my spirit humming along with me.

**************************

The lunch shift at Merlotte's was always unpredictable; sometimes it was crazy-busy, sometimes it was just (_pun alert!_) plain dead. Today was pretty busy and I had to focus all my attention on serving the customers, so I didn't have to waste much energy trying to keep out of everyone's heads. Sam had given me several quizzical looks while we worked, but he said nothing. He had always been pretty good at reading me and being able to tell when something was up. I was sharing waitress duty with Arlene today and she was being her usual holier-than-thou, FotS-loving self. I wasn't about to let her bother me, though. My morning had been too wonderful to let her get me down.

I was kept hopping serving beer and burgers, chicken strips and cokes, and before I knew it, it was six o'clock and my shift was over. I said bye to Sam, who gave me one last inquiring look from behind the bar, but remained silent.

I drove into town to Happy Hands, the new nail salon that had opened in the little strip mall that was also home to Tara's Togs. For a quick second I thought about the entire building being owned by Bill and wondered to myself if I would ever be completely over him. (Do you ever really and truly get over your first love?) I spent the next hour basking in the indulgence of being _'cured_; _mani-_ and _pedi-_, that is. Since I always had to watch every penny, I made the most of little treats like this. I opted for a French manicure, both hands and feet. I didn't want to take away from the black-and-sparkle theme of tomorrow night's outfit by adding color to my nails.

It was dark by the time I finished, and the lights were off at Tara's store. _Too bad_, I thought to myself. I had planned to pop in and say hello if she were still open. Instead, I got in my car and headed home.

As I drove up to the house, I noticed there were no lights on inside and wondered why Octavia hadn't made it home from Monroe yet. I continued around to the back and instantly froze behind the wheel. Eric's Corvette was parked behind my house. He was outside of the car, his gorgeous tush leaning against the fender. He was clad in a tight black Fangtasia T-shirt, worn jeans, and heavy boots. His muscular arms were crossed over his massive chest and his right ankle was casually slung across the left one. He always knew how to strike a pose.

I finally regained enough composure to put the car in park and shut off the engine. I got out slowly, feeling a little dubious (last Tuesday's word of the day) about Eric's surprise visit. I slowly walked toward him, my heart pounding so fiercely I could feel it in my ears. I knew he was feeling it through the bond. His eyes never left mine. On shaking legs, I was finally standing directly in front of him.

"Hello, lover. I believe we have much to discuss."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

A/N - Sorry this took a few days, I have been spending a lot of time at the hospital with my grandma. She came home today and is doing better, so maybe I'll have more face time with Erick & Sookie! Thanks again for all your wonderful comments and PMs. Happy reading!

As always, the characters belong to Ms. Harris, and she has my gratitude for allowing me to expand their horizons.

CHAPTER 5

_Oh, shit. _I stood staring at Eric for what seemed like countless hours (although in reality it was only a few seconds), completely speechless. I had known this moment would come..._eventually_...but I was hoping it would be later rather than sooner. All the feelings I felt through our bond the night before did nothing to ease my anxiety and apprehension. Several options flew through my head: I could get back in my car and drive away (_where the heck would I go?_); I could yell loudly and hope Bill would hear me and come to my rescue (_as if..._); I could invite Eric inside, jump his bones and maybe he would forget all about what he came to talk about (_ya think?_). Or, I could put on my big girl panties, open my ears and my heart, and listen to what he had to say. I pretended to myself to give each option careful consideration, then I chose Door Number Four.

"Well..." Eric began, an expectant look on his face.

"Well..." I countered. "Wanna come inside?" I had never rescinded his invitation but I asked anyway, mainly because I couldn't think of anything else to say. I was hoping he wouldn't mind this being a mostly one-sided conversation, on his part. I sent feelers out through the bond to try and get some sign as to how I should proceed. I was greeted with a mixture of lust, love, and pride, with a little arrogance and nervousness thrown in. _Well, this was certainly going to be some talk_.

I took his arm and gave my head a "C'mon" nod toward the door. He followed me through the back door and into the kitchen. I flipped on the kitchen light and immediately noticed a light flashing on the answering machine. I punched the button to listen; it was Octavia, telling me she was staying another night in Monroe. _Isn't that convenient,_ I thought, wondering if Eric had somehow been able to negotiate her change of plans.

"Please sit down." I gestured to one of the kitchen chairs. Nervous as I was, Gran would be proud that I hadn't forgotten my manners. "I'm sorry I don't have any TrueBlood. It's been a while since I had any, um, visitors, and the last bottles I had passed the expiration date and I had to throw them out."

"Not to worry," he replied. "I am OK for now. It's time we talk." His face was intent, his were eyes piercing, and I wanted nothing more than for the floor to open up and swallow me.

"Yeah, ah, about that..." my words were faltering and it was becoming difficult for me to form a coherent thought. My nervous smile was pasted on my face, and it was already starting to hurt. "Are you sure we have to do this? I mean, haven't things have pretty much been going OK for us?" I asked, trying the if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it approach. In spite of everything I felt for Eric, I just didn't think I could bring myself to discuss it with him.

"No, lover, things have not 'been going OK with us.' Things have not been _OK_ since the night of the takeover and my memory returned." I sat down in the chair beside Eric. I figured this was probably going to take a while.

Eric leaned his long frame back in his chair, crossed his ankles and gave me an intense look. I looked into his eyes and noticed they were much darker now, almost indigo. "I have walked the earth for a thousand years," he began. "No human, and very few vampires, have any concept of what that truly means. I have witnessed things that caused people to lose their minds, and have done the likes, as well. Humans struggle to exist for seventy or eighty years, if they are lucky, and then their lives are over. I have been held prisoner and tortured for longer periods than that."

Unable to help myself, I gasped out loud. My heart shuddered in my chest until I thought it would literally break in two. _Oh, crap, please don't let me start crying._ I must have had a stricken look on my face because Eric leaned forward and took my hands in his. "Eric, I had no idea..." I tried to speak, but it came out more like a dry croak. Beyond that, I didn't know what to say. My soul cried out at the thought of the things he had endured during his undead life, and because of it.

"Do not pity me, lover," he said quietly. "Until the last half-century, the way of the vampire was brutal. Even though we are called immortal, each day was a battle for survival." His hair had fallen down around his face when he leaned forward, and I gently loosened one of my hands from his to brush it back. He took my hand and, raising it to his lips, placed a gentle kiss in my palm. Electric currents ran from his lips and down my arm, and I shivered all over.

"I tell you this because it is important you know where I have been, so you will understand where I am going." His lips curled ever so slightly at the edges, and I felt like I would melt from his gaze. "Never, in all my years, have I known another like you. I have never desired to be close to anyone, fearing such an alliance would put my existence in jeopardy. But when I met you, that first night when Bill brought you to Fangtasia, I sensed there was something different about you. And the first time I tasted you, the night you were poisoned by the maenad, I knew I must have you, no matter the cost."

He got up from the chair and began slowly pacing around the kitchen floor. I tried to follow his movements, but in the end I just sat looking at the top of the kitchen table. After a couple minutes he came back to kneel in front of me on the kitchen floor. He took my hands in his, and for a moment I imagined how strange we must look, a mighty Viking warrior kneeling in front of a simple barmaid. A telepathic barmaid, but simple none the less.

"All I know," he continued, and I looked directly into eyes that were filled with such emotion it made my heart hurt. "is I cannot bear to be apart from you any longer. There is a void in my life, the likes of which I have never felt before. The only thing that fills that void is you, lover. I love you, Sookie, and try as I may, I am afraid there is nothing I can do about it."

He stood up and pulled me into his arms, and I rested my head on his chest. I could feel his cool firmness through his thin T-shirt. He planted a kiss on the top of my head. I should have been content just to stay in his arms, but I still had many unanswered questions. "What kind of future could we really have, Eric? I mean, you have a life in Shreveport, I have a life here in Bon Temps. You certainly aren't going to leave your business, and I can't quit my job. And what happens when I grow old and you don't? What are you going to do with shriveled up old woman with gray hair and sagging boobs who is too decrepit to screw you any more?" I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "I can't let you to tie yourself to me like that."

He sat back down in one of the kitchen chairs and pulled me into his lap, and his arms circled protectively around me. "I don't have all the answers, Sookie. I fear our path will be difficult, and maybe even dangerous. But I promise I will protect you, with my own life if necessary."

"I couldn't let you do that, Eric," I protested to him. "You are too powerful and too many people depend on you."

"My life means nothing if you are not in it." His voice was matter-of-fact. He was speaking with careful thought and consideration. "And as for you growing old, have you not noticed that when you have had my blood, for a period of time you felt more healthy, had more strength, and your appearance seemed more youthful?" Yes, I had noticed it, but it had always been a temporary after-effect and I never really gave it much consideration. "What if you were to take my blood every day? Maybe that, combined with your fae blood, could prolong your aging process a few years, maybe even a few decades."

I hadn't thought about that possibility before. I knew fairies lived a long time; Niall was hundreds of years old, so were Claudine and Claude. My melancholy mood suddenly began to brighten. "What if we talked to Niall? Maybe he knows something we don't." I looked hopefully at Eric, wanting him to be as excited as I was about this wonderful possibility.

"We will see. But whatever time either of us has left, I want to spend every minute of it with you." He kissed my ear, soft as a feather, and nuzzled my hair with his nose. "I have to be honest about something else, and I don't know how you will take it." He paused for a moment to let his warning set in. _Sweet mother of God, what now?_ "I don't like you working for that shifter. I believe the work is too menial for you, and your pay is worse than terrible." He shifted my body around slightly so he could look at my face. "You have been forced to scrape by your whole life. I know you can take care of yourself, so does everyone else. Move to Shreveport with me and let me take care of you now, Sookie. I have worked for decades to build security and wealth, and until now I had no one to share it with. I want to pamper you and spoil you rotten..."

"Absolutely not." I cut him off before he could go any further. "Eric, you know how I feel about being treated like a kept woman. I can't just not work and not pay my own way. My gran would roll over in her grave if I were to let you support me."

He let out an exasperated _hrrrmph_ and shook his head. "Sookie, that's crazy. What if you had met some human man and gotten married? Would it be OK for him to take care of you?"

"It's not the same thing, Eric," I protested. "There is a big difference between being married and just shacking up with someone." As old fashioned as it sounded, it was the best defense I could come up with.

But Eric was undaunted. "Lover, either the commitment is there or it isn't. A piece of paper makes no difference. But, if it would make you feel better, there is always something to be done at Fangtasia, and you could help out every once in a while. I could put you on the payroll and you could earn your own money. We could be together every night, even if we were both working. Wouldn't that be _convenient_? And every hour or so, we could take a break on the couch in my office." He waggled his eyebrows and gave me a mischievous leer.

I felt like I was talking to my Uncle Vito and he was making me an offer I couldn't refuse. "I'll think about it, OK? I'm not making any promises, but I will think about it." His smile beamed like the sun. His teeth were incredibly white, his pale face glowed, and I was a gonner. "But what about my house? I can't sell it; it's been in my family for over a hundred years."

"You could just rent it out to Amelia and Octavia," he stated simply. Lord, he had an answer for everything tonight. I guess that happens when you've been around for a thousand years.

I sighed heavily and looked directly into his eyes. "You're just not going to take no for an answer, are you?" It was apparent that when he set his mind on something, there wasn't any hope for changing it.

"I am glad you finally figured that out," Eric chuckled. He put his arms around me and pulled me close. Contentment like I had never known flowed between us through the bond and I wished we could just sit in this chair forever, my Viking and me.

I snuggled closer into his chest and felt him rumble. It had been a long time, but I had never forgotten that sound. His arms circled me tighter and he licked the little spot behind my ear, continuing down my neck to my collarbone. I drew in my breath and my body shuddered all the way down to my toes. I turned my face to his and grazed his lips with mine. His hand went to the back of my head and he pulled me to him, his cool mouth searing mine. He pulled on my hair band and my hair fell down around my shoulders. He ran his fingers through it as he parted my lips with his tongue, and I could feel his fangs were down for me. I ran my tongue over them, breaking the skin just enough for him to taste a few drops of my blood. "I have waited patiently for you, lover," he whispered into my mouth. "Every day I dream of this, and every night I remember our time together. It has been hundreds of years since I was this happy."

"I have...missed... you," my words were breathy between kisses. Eric put his hands on my sides and lifted me, turning me until I was facing him and straddling his lap. I was perched directly on top of his Gracious Plenty, which seemed to be intent on tearing through the fabric of his jeans. I leaned down and kissed the little hollow between his neck and collarbone, then nipped a trail up his neck to his ear. I took the lobe between my teeth and bit a little, grinding my hips back and forth across his at the same time. His hips moved to answer mine, the bulge in his jeans rubbing my nub through the fabric of my shorts until I though I thought I would come right there. He took my face in both hands and kissed me fiercely, his tongue moving in rhythm with his hips.

Just as I was about to topple over the edge, he grabbed me tight around the waist and stood up. I locked my arms and legs around him, and he carried me down the hall to my bedroom.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

A/N - Major hotness ahead -- read at your own risk. You have been warned! Thanks again for all your wonderful reviews. You continue to inspire me!

As always, the characters belong to Ms. Harris, and she has my gratitude for allowing me to expand their horizons.

CHAPTER 6

Eric strode purposefully down the hallway with me attached to him like a barnacle to a ship, my arms and legs locked tightly around him, his hands groping my bottom. I kissed and nipped at his neck and ear as he walked; he growled from somewhere low in his throat. He stopped abruptly and half-slammed by back into the wall of the hallway. His mouth was on mine in a vampire move so fast my human brain couldn't register it. His kiss was punishing, his tongue violating my mouth. I loved it.

I had no idea how long we were there like that; time had a way of stopping whenever Eric was around. After a while he managed to pull himself away and waggled his eyebrows at me. "Lover, would you care to christen the hallway? I don't believe I ever had you here." He ground himself against me, and I thought he was going to drive me straight through the wall.

"It's been a long time, Eric, and I don't want our first reunion to be just a quickie against the wall." I knew it sounded corny, but I had managed to hold on to a bit of my old-fashionedness, in spite of the supes. "Can we save the hallway for later?" I asked him hopefully.

He didn't answer, he just leaned in again for another searing kiss, then he turned and continued down the hallway.

When we reached my bedroom, Eric walked over and laid me gently on the bed. He took a step back, tugged his shirttail out of his jeans, and peeled his T-shirt over his head. I watched as his muscles rippled, fluid movements like waves rolling on the ocean. Next he toed off his boots until he was standing there in nothing but his faded jeans. He unbuckled his belt and slowly slid it out of the loops; he then unfastened the button on his jeans and let the waistband fall open. His pose reminded me of Fangtasia's hot hunks calendar. Eric might not be warm, but he was definitely_ hot_. I felt like I already had a river running between my legs, and he wasn't even completely naked yet.

After sliding his zipper down, Eric moved his hands to the waistband of his jeans and slowly peeled them off. He had gone commando tonight (just the thought of that made my insides gush) and the evidence of his arousal sprang out immediately. He pooled his jeans on the floor and stepped out of them. He stood in front of me in all his naked Viking glory, and my body hurt from wanting him. His wide shoulders, his muscular arms, his chiseled abs, the sharp lines that ran from his hips down to his thighs...standing in the dim glow of the nightlight, he looked like he was carved from fine alabaster.

He moved to the bed and carefully untied my shoes and removed them, one after the other, kissing my calves and the sensitive spot behind my knees. He pulled my shirt out of my shorts, then slid it over my head. After unfastening my shorts, he slowly pulled them down my legs and tossed them onto the floor. Hooking his fingers in the waistband of my panties, he slid them down my legs, trailing kisses behind them, and I was rid of them in a second. He pulled me by my hands until I was sitting up on the edge of the bed. Kneeling down beside me, he reached around my back to unfasten my bra. He leaned over and kissed my breast through the thin fabric, catching my nipple with a fang but not breaking the skin. He grazed his fangs over my left shoulder while pulling the strap down. The right strap was next, then his tongue traced a line down to my right breast. When he sucked the nipple into his mouth I thought I was going to spontaneously combust. His mouth worked in lazy circles, tonguing first one nipple then the other. I tangled my fingers in his hair and pressed his head to me, urging him on.

He slowly kissed his way down my stomach, stopping to circle his tongue around my navel. His progress was maddeningly slow, and I felt like I would implode if he didn't bring me to climax. "Watch me, lover. " It was part request, part command. "Watch me pleasure you." I looked down into his eyes as his lips made their way down to my left thigh, which he feathered with kisses and little nips of his fangs. He moved across my center, his tongue lightly grazing my nub as it passed, and my body constricted with the contact. His eyes never left mine, making sure I was watching him. He nipped at my right thigh, never breaking the skin, then made his way back to the center. I felt his hand move between my legs, parting my folds. He slowly slipped one finger inside me, moving in slow circles. I squeezed my eyes shut and saw flecks of white and gold light behind the lids.

"You're not watching," he scolded.

"I can't help it," I gasped. "I'm going to faint if you don't make me come soon." He chuckled softly. I opened my eyes to watch his tongue flick at my swollen nub, and I inhaled a ragged breath. A second finger joined his first, and he began moving them in rhythm with his tongue. Lapping, flicking, sucking, he was driving me mad with his mouth. Never breaking eye contact, he worked his tongue and fingers on me until I was ready to explode. Just as I reached the brink of release, he turned his head and bit into my thigh. "_Eric_..." I tried to scream his name, but instead it came out like a ragged growl. As he drew on my blood, my climax came crashing down on me like a giant tsunami. My hips bucked against his mouth and golden spirals exploded behind my eyes. My breath was coming in ragged gasps, and my heart was pounding so hard I could see it beat through my chest wall. He licked the little wounds on my thigh as I floated back down to earth.

My Viking stood up, put one knee on the edge of the bed and one arm around my back, and slid us both to the middle of the bed. He kissed me fiercely, his fangs breaking the skin on my lower lip, and I could taste my fluids on his mouth mixing with my blood. His tongue probed my mouth as he ground his hips into mine. I reached down and circled his length with my hand, squeezing gently as I guided him to me. "I need to feel you inside me," I groaned into his mouth.

Eric growled from somewhere deep in his chest, part vampire, part human, part animal. I rubbed his bulging tip over my still-swollen nub then placed him at my entrance. He moved his hips and entered me, burying his cool, hard length in my warm, soft center until he could go no further. He slowly began to move in and out, rocking back and forth, finding my special spot inside. I locked my legs around his waist and thrust my hips up to meet his. "I have longed for this, dreamed of kissing you, fucking you, loving you..." his words trailed off as his pace picked up. He grabbed my leg and put it over his shoulder, which allowed him to thrust even deeper. He was riding me at a frenzied pace, and I was trying hard to keep up. I could feel my orgasm approaching again, and I could feel his building through the bond. Leaning down, he sank his fangs into the top of my breast, and as he did my body was once again racked with spasms. He jerked inside me and his own release came as he was pulling on the wounds.

Staying inside me, he propped himself over me on his elbows. He looked down at me and the emotion in his eyes was so intense it crushed my heart. "I wish we could just stay like this forever," I whispered into his chest, circling his waist again with both my legs, still enjoying the little aftershocks.

He gave a soft chuckle. "That is what I have been trying to tell you all night, lover. It could be like this every night for the rest of our lives, if you would only allow it." He moved beside me and I snuggled to his chest, my head on his shoulder.

For some strange reason, I thought about my new gifts and realized I had never thanked him. "The dress is beautiful, Eric, thank you," I murmured into his chest. "You have impeccable taste."

"So I do," he agreed. "Would you care to model it for me?"

"No, I would not. I'm afraid it would just get ripped off of me before I had a chance to show it off." Then I thought of the little blue box. I jumped out of bed and went to my panty drawer to retrieve it from its hiding place. "But these, Eric, are way over the top." I returned to the bed, waving the box in front of him. "I can't accept something like this. They are beautiful, but it's too much."

"My lover, what have we been talking about all night? I told you I want to spoil you rotten." He made a pouty face like a five year old who wasn't getting his way. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back down to his side, my head back on his shoulder. My leg was thrown over his thigh, my knee resting next to his now-spent-but-still-gracious plenty.

"I know, but I'm afraid, Eric, " I admitted to him. "I've never depended on anyone before. I don't know...I guess I'm just independent to a fault."

"Just think about what I said," he said, kissing my hair. "I do love you, Sookie. If I make it another thousand years, I will never feel this way about another. Please, just let me take care of you."

I thought about what he said and swallowed hard. In spite of all that we shared, it wasn't going to be easy for me to admit. But, he had been open and honest with me about his feelings, and I felt I owed him the same consideration. "I love you too, Eric. God help me, I do. After Bill, I didn't know if there would be enough of my heart left to give to anyone else. But what's left is yours, if you want it."

"There is nothing in the world I want more." I could feel his face move into a grin on the top of my head as he kissed my hair. "That is, if you don't count me fucking you..."

His arousal was beginning to stir again against my knee. "You beast," I nuzzled into his neck; he smelled like sex, L'Homme, and love. This wasn't politics-and-power Eric, this was _my_ Eric. It felt like coming home.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N - Again, you have my heartfelt thanks for all your reviews. Your inspiration is overwhelming! I know this is another short chapter, but there seemed to be a natural break in the flow at this point, plus I do love a good cliffie! Thanks for playing along -- I hope you're enjoying the ride as much as I am!

As always, the characters belong to Ms. Harris, and she has my gratitude for allowing me to expand their horizons.

CHAPTER 7

For the second morning in a row, I woke to the sunlight streaming through my bedroom window. Today I didn't want to open my eyes – I just lay there with them closed, thinking about Eric and the night before. I stretched and my body disclosed the evidence of last night's love-fest; I was sore in places I'd forgotten I even had. We had made love a total of four times before I finally fell asleep in his arms. It had been the most remarkable night of my life.

I rolled over to hug the pillow Eric had been laying on, wanting to breathe in the scent of him that still lingered in my bed. On said pillow I found a single red rose, the little blue box, and a piece of paper that was folded in half. Opening the note, I read his bold script:

_Dear One,_

_It is with a heavy heart that I leave your side, but dawn approaches and I must go to ground. I eagerly await being with you this evening at Fangtasia. Today can't pass quickly enough. I don't believe we will ever out-do last night, but I look forward to countless nights of trying. Your passion and ardor never cease to amaze me, lover._

_Please reconsider the earrings -- it would please me greatly to see you wear them tonight. Don't think of it as being 'kept'; rather look at it as being cherished. For that is what you are. _

_Yours...forever,_

_~E_

I re-read the note three times, soaking up every drop of emotion he had written into his words. I was still having trouble getting my head around the fact that this beautiful, powerful, Viking vamp-god was actually pursuing me. _Me. _I grew up knowing I was different, but I had never believed myself to be anything really special. But Eric was showing me in countless ways that I _was_ special, at least to him. Would it really be so bad to yield to him? It seemed like I had been fighting him ever since we met. Now I was thinking maybe I should just stop running. _After all, I did promise him I would think about it..._

I hauled my (deliciously) bruised and battered body out of bed and stumbled down the hall to the kitchen. If blood was a vamp's life-force then coffee was mine, and I needed some badly. Sam didn't have me scheduled to work until the Saturday late shift, so I had the entire day to myself and decided a good breakfast was in order. I fixed sausage, scrambled eggs (with cheese, of course) and toast. By the time the coffee had finished brewing and breakfast was done, I realized I was ravenous. I guess I hadn't realized what a workout I was getting last night. Even though I was alone in the house, I blushed when the memories raced back into my head.

I ate everything on my plate, leaving not so much as a crumb. My appetite now whetted, I quickly washed and dried my dishes and put them away.

Since I didn't have to work at Merlotte's today, I decided to use my free time to putter around the house and take care of a few chores. I went to my bedroom and retrieved a pair of lounge pants and a T-shirt from my chest of drawers. No sense showering this morning – I would wait until this afternoon, when it was time to get ready for the party at Fangtasia. I pulled up the covers on my bed (stopping one more time to breathe in Eric's scent from the pillow), grabbed some dirty clothes and headed for the back porch.

I had just raised the lid on the washing machine when I heard what sounded like a pebble hitting the back door. I turned and looked out the window in time to see a flash of movement in the woods just beyond the back yard. My past experience with the supernatural world had taught me caution (thought I didn't always use it) and I carefully scoured the trees for my back door's assailant. I opened my mind and reached out to see if I could detect a presence anywhere close, expecting to find either a human brain or the snarly red patterns of a Were. I just about choked on my own breath when I encountered a void – _**VOID?!**_ How in the name of all that's holy was I picking up a _VOID_ in the middle of the day? My knees went weak and almost buckled beneath me. I grabbed the doorframe for support, feeling sure I was going to lose it.

After a heart-stopping couple of minutes, I regained my composure and opened my mind again. Yep, the void was still there. I peered into the woods again and this time saw part of a head peek out from behind a giant oak tree. I caught a glimpse of a very pale face and some very black hair. _Jesus, Mary, and the shepherds...it couldn't be._ I opened the door and slowly crept down the back steps, looking both ways to make sure there was no one readily visible in the yard or at the edge of the woods. Stealth mode engaged, I made my way across the back yard to the edge of the trees.

When I reached the tree line, I stopped to listen but heard nothing but the breeze rustling the leaves on the trees. Then, all of a sudden, "Pssssssst...p_ssssssst..._Sookie! _Sookie, over here!"_

I squeezed my eyelids together tightly and began to pray. _Lord above, please tell me this isn't happening. Please just let me be in my bed, where I'll wake up and this will all be a dream. _But I knew it wasn't a dream. I knew that whispered voice as well as I knew my own – I 'd been hearing it all my life.

With major disbelief (and a little bit of horror) still clutching at my heart, I slowly crept into the woods, making my way toward the big oak tree. I saw his figure crouched down behind the base of the tree, so I crouched down, too. I eased in closer and came face to face with..._Bubba?!_ "Wh...wh..." I was so dumbfounded my lips refused to work. "Bubba, what...how..._oh shit, Bubba!_ Please tell me this isn't happening!" My voice, once I found it, rose to a shriek.

"Shhhhhh...you gotta keep your voice down. We can't take a chance on anyone seeing or hearing us." Bubba was still crouched low to the ground and continued whispering. "I'm so sorry, Sookie. I know this has to be a real shock for you."

"No shit, Bubba." Adrenaline and disbelief were still pumping through my system, and I wasn't going to ask for forgiveness for being a little edgy. "What in the hell are you doing here? _How_ in the hell are you here?!"

"Well...ya see, it's like this...I'm a daywalker."

I fainted, right there on the spot.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

A/N - Thanks again for all your kind reviews and PMs! Like I said, this is my first fanfic and ALL criticism is much appreciated.

As always, my gratitude goes to Ms Harris for giving us these amazing characters. They are hers, and I appreciate her letting me take them for a test drive.

CHAPTER 8

When I came to, I was lying on my back on the floor of the woods. Bubba was hovering over me, his eyes studying me worriedly as he nervously patted my hand. "Lord, Sookie, I am _so_ sorry. I knew it would be a shock, but if I'd known you were going to pass out on me I would have tried a different tack."

I propped myself up on my elbows and regarded Bubba warily. His fangs were down just a little from all the excitement, which really creeped me out. "I'm OK, Bubba." I tried to reassure him, all the while wondering if I wasn't the one who needed the reassurance. I sat up and brushed the leaves and twigs out of my hair. "We've got to get you inside before someone sees you." Since it was daytime, I knew no other vamps would be around (well, up until a couple of minutes ago I was sure) but I didn't know who else might be on recon duty. I felt no other presences in our immediate area, but past experience told me that was no sure bet there wasn't someone (or something) lurking close by. I couldn't remember if I had ever invited Bubba into my house, and I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. We would have to be creative if we wanted to make a quick retreat. "Let me go first," I whispered to him.

I got up and tried to walk as nonchalantly as possible to my back door. Once inside, I turned around to hold the door open. Looking back at the woods I whispered, "Come in, Bubba," knowing his keen vampire ears would hear my invitation. With lightning speed exclusive to vampires, Bubba was standing on my back porch. I quickly shut the back door and ushered him into the kitchen and sat him down at the table.

"OK, Bubba, let's have it," I demanded. "Now that you have scared the ever-loving crap out of me, you really need to tell me what the hell's going on. Tell me how it is you are able to be sitting here..._in my kitchen_.._**.talking to me**_...**_IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREAKING DAY__!_**" My voice just kept getting louder and louder as I went, and at the end I was pretty sure they could hear me all the way to Merlotte's.

Bubba winced, and I immediately felt little pangs of guilt and regret at my outburst. "I was gonna tell you eventually, Sookie, I really was. I guess I shoulda told you last night." He paused for a moment then looked up at the ceiling as he continued. "It's just I had already laid so much on you, I thought if I told you I was a daywalker on top of everything else, you'd just snap." _Imagine that!_ "Plus, I didn't figure I would be needing to come back here so soon."

"But how, Bubba?" I still couldn't get my mind wrapped around the fact that a vampire was talking to me in broad daylight. "How is it that you're a vampire but not harmed by the sunlight?" I had seen first-hand what sunlight did to vampires, just after the bombing in Rhodes; to say it was grisly was the understatement of the century. And although I had been around vampires long enough to know quite a bit about how they operated, no one, either alive or un-dead, had ever mentioned anything about _daywalkers_.

"I've asked myself that question a million times. All I can come up with is it's like the glamour thing – it must have something to do with my, um, circumstances when I was brought over."

"How exactly did you find out you could be out in the daylight?" My curiosity was definitely piqued. "I mean, you just didn't decide one day to stick your hand in a sunbeam and see what happened." Or did he? Before I knew the "real" Bubba, I would have thought this was a distinct possibility.

Bubba rested his elbows on the table and looked toward the window for a moment, then back at me. "A year or so after I was turned, I was spending time with a nest in Alabama. They were a pretty rough crowd, and you never knew what their nightly escapades would turn into. Well, we ended up being quite a ways from our day shelter and it was getting on toward morning. They all sped off; most of them had flight. The ones that didn't were fast on their feet and could really move. Since I was fairly new, I didn't have all that, and they just up and left me." He turned and gave me a _can you believe that_ look before he continued. "Long story short, I ended up being caught in the open with no shelter. I didn't have a clue what to do, no one had ever said anything to me about actually going into the ground. I really thought I was going to be finally dead."

I listened to Bubba as he recounted this part of his undead life to me. I was a little more than amazed that he had shared so much information about himself to me in such a short time. I wondered if anyone else knew as much as I did about him. _Apparently not_, I thought, answering my own question. _Pretty much everyone still thinks he's crackers._

"So I just sat there, under a magnolia tree, of all places. I remember I was even facing east, just watching the sun rise, knowing the end was coming for me. But as the sun rose, getting higher and higher, nothing happened. No burn, no smoke, no ash – nothing. I did get pretty sleepy, but that was it. And it's been the same ever since. I usually do rest during the day, though, just to keep up appearances." He shrugged, as if being immune to sunlight were really no big deal.

"Yeah...well...we really have to keep you under the radar now. If the other vamps find out you're really not who they think you are, plus able to be up and about during the day, I don't even want to think about what will happen." Icy fingers of dread gripped my heart when I thought about Bubba's fate if other vamps found out about his "special abilities." Their unique method of dealing with unsavory issues made Attila the Hun look like a kindergarten teacher.

"By the way," I added. "Why _are_ you here again today?" I had gotten so caught up in Bubba's newest revelation that I forgot all about a reason for him being here.

"I sorta been hanging out at the Bon Nuit, that new vamp hotel in Shreveport, for the last few days. Victor Madden checked in yesterday with a bunch of his cronies. The thing at Fangtasia tonight is for him, a glad-to-have-you-in-Louisiana kinda thing. He's been staying in New Orleans since the takeover, pretty much running things under King Felipe's orders. He's been so busy, this is the first free time he's had to come to Shreveport for a party." Since I really hadn't had much contact with the vamp world since the night of the takeover, this was all news to me. "Guess it's pretty hard for Felipe to reign over a territory when he's seventeen hundred miles away."

"Anyway, I been hearing little bits and pieces about Victor talking to Julio Maldonado, the King of Florida." My eyes opened wide at this one – I had never heard anyone talk about a King Julio before. "Apparently King Julio and King Felipe have some beef that goes back a couple hundred years. Something about Felipe trying to hone in on a human that Julio had a strong affection for while they were spending time in Spain. Musta been some girl, for Julio to be sore at him for this long."

_There's no accounting for love, _I thought as I mentally rolled my eyes.

"Well, now that Sophie-Ann is out of the picture and Felipe is trying to rule Louisiana all the way from Vegas, it looks like Victor has set his sights on taking Louisiana from Felipe. I don't know what he plans to do about Arkansas, though. And, he's gotten Julio to help him. Seems Julio is ready to get even with Felipe for the Spanish-girl thing." I wondered just how cold revenge could get in two hundred years.

Bubba looked at me with sad and wary eyes. "I don't exactly know what Victor's plan is just yet. I'm snooping around to see what I can find out. I don't know how I'll go about getting word to you, but I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, you be careful, like I said. Stick by Eric, he'll protect you."

I felt a little squeeze around my heart at Bubba's sentiment. "Thank you, Bubba. I appreciate you looking out for me the way you do. I know Eric thanks you, too."

Bubba jumped up from his chair and turned towards the back porch. "Well, I really need to be going. I gotta go get some rest if I want to make that party tonight!"

I took Bubba's arm and escorted him to the back door. "Please be careful on your way back," I cautioned him. He was running on the ragged edge, and I didn't want to see anything happen to him. Bubba was turning into quite an ally.

As we got to the door, Bubba turned and looked me in the eyes. "He loves you, Sookie. I could tell, from way back, whenever I saw you together. You two just fit."

I just gave him a little smile. "I know, Bubba. I'm just sorry it's taken us this long to figure it out. You watch yourself around Victor, you hear? He's dangerous. I've never trusted him since I met him. I'll say a little prayer that you stay safe."

Bubba turned and winked at me just before he bolted from the door. "Thank you...thank you very much."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

A/N - Sorry for the delay in this chapter; my grandma had another stay in the hospital, but this one was shorter than the last (thankfully.) She's back home, so I'm hoping to get back on track really soon! I continue to be amazed by your reviews and PMs -- they really mean a lot! Thanks to all for reading! Next chapter: party time!

As always, the characters belong to Ms. Harris, and she has my gratitude for allowing me to expand their horizons.

CHAPTER 9

I continued to putter around the house after Bubba left, taking care of the mundane chores I had put off doing until my day off. I spent a little time reading and I also watched _Gone With The Wind_ for the umpteenth time. Rhett grabbing Scarlett like that and carrying her up that grand staircase never fails to get a rise out of my romantic Southern heart. _I just love a man who takes what he wants. Hmmm...._

The afternoon seemed to crawl by, and I was sure I had actually seen the hands on the clock run backwards at one point. My ride to Shreveport wasn't due until eight o'clock, so I really didn't need to start getting ready until around six. I was in the shower by five.

I had seen a magazine ad extol the dermatological virtues of a loofah sponge, so I had purchased one at the local Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago. Since I began using it, I did feel like my skin really was softer and looked more radiant. I took special pains today to scrub every inch, especially due to the fact that my new dress exposed more skin than it covered. I shampooed my hair and used a luxurious new conditioner that had the faint smell of orchids. Next I grabbed a new disposable razor and began to scrape every square inch of unnecessary hair off my body.

As I was shaving the tops of my thighs, a sudden lustful thought of Eric gave me a devilish idea. A huge grin spread over my face as I set my plan in motion. Grabbing the bar of soap, I lathered my "parts down south" and slowly started to work with the razor. I worked carefully so as not to nick my skin (I didn't even want to think about what sort of complications that could create) and when I was done, all that was left was a little patch of hair in front, just below my bikini line. The rest of me was as slick and soft as a newborn baby's bottom. When I had finished, I had a fleeting moment of embarrassment at my brazenness. Then I decided since Eric seemed to be so fond of ...doing, um..._that_...it was the least I could do for him.

I toweled off and covered my entire body with lotion that had the same orchid-like smell as my conditioner. Never had I taken such pains with my grooming. I was nervous and exhilarated all at the same time. I wanted to look more beautiful tonight than I had ever looked in my life.

I slipped on a thin robe and walked to the chest of drawers in my bedroom. I retrieved the scandalous black thong from my pantry drawer and put it on. Its raciness, combined with my newly conspicuous lack of body hair, made me feel terribly sexy. My dress had a built-in bra, so I wouldn't have to worry with one of those.

As I started to the closet to retrieve my dress, I felt a sudden charge of electricity in the air. I turned and was met by Claudine's smiling face. "Cousin!" She beamed and gave me a big, warm hug. She looked magnificent a clingy white tank dress that molded to her body like a glove. If she was wearing anything underneath, it certainly didn't show.

"Fairy Godmother!" I joked back at her. "What brings you here tonight?"

"I understand congratulations are in order," she replied, beaming at me.

"Congratulations for what?" I was confused. No major announcements had been made that I knew of. Then again, in the supe world it seemed that I was usually the last to know about anything, even when I was playing the starring role.

"Oh, a little birdie told me about last night...about you...and a certain red Corvette that stayed parked in your driveway until almost dawn...and a certain Viking who left your house with an _extremely_ satisfied look on his face." Claudine winked conspiratorially.

"Niall," I guessed. "But how did he know Eric was here?" I hadn't heard from Niall in weeks.

"Oh, he comes around from time to time, when you're not looking, to check on you and see how you're doing."

"Why on earth would he want to do that? And what gives him the right to think he can _spy_ on me?" I was starting to get miffed at Niall's unexpected and unwanted intrusion into my private life. It was bad enough that Bill was keeping tabs on me from just across the cemetery. Now I had my great-grandfather nosing in my business as well.

Claudine just waved a hand as if it were of no significance. "He just cares about your well being, that's all." She flashed a big Claudine smile and promptly changed the subject. "Now, let's get you ready for your grand engagement tonight!"

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't stay upset around Claudine for very long. Her _joie de vivre_ was infectious and intoxicating. "I'm really nervous," I admitted shyly. "After last night, I just don't know what to expect. Even after Bill and Quinn, I still feel like such a novice at this boyfriend/love thing. I don't want to set myself up to get shot down again."

Claudine cupped my face with her hands and looked down into my eyes. "Sookie, no one knows what the next day may bring, or if there will even be a next day. What's done is done, you can't go back and change things. All you can do is move forward. Happiness can be a fickle, fleeting thing. When it heads your way, grab it with both hands and hold on for dear life." Her smile, though small on her face, imparted the wisdom of her years to me. "You know I am wary of vampires, and for good reason. But I feel there's something different with Eric. Never underestimate him – he is shrewd, cunning and very powerful, and has an extremely keen sense of self-preservation. But in the right circumstances, these are noble qualities that, when you think about it, have already saved your life more than once." I certainly couldn't argue that point with her. "And I can tell he does care for you. I have felt it in his presence for some time."

She was the second person today to tell me essentially the same thing. If everyone else had been able to see it, why hadn't I? Maybe I really had, and just chose not to acknowledge it.

"Let go, Sookie. _Just do it_..._carpe diem_...and all of those other corny phrases that tell you to do what you _feel_ is the right thing. Just do what you know will make you happy. The rest will work itself out."

I gave Claudine a big hug and a wan smile. She always knew how to put things in perspective and make me feel better about myself.

"Now, let's finish getting you ready to go!" She snapped her fingers and a small, leather-covered box appeared. She opened the lid and I saw it contained make-up, the professional kind you would see at a movie studio. She sat me on the slipper chair in the corner of my bedroom and got to work.

Claudine worked swiftly and with practiced ease, grabbing brushes and opening little pots of color. Her touch was soft and the bristles of the brushes felt like silk against my skin. I'm usually no more than a mascara and lip gloss kind of girl, and the amount of make-up she appeared to be putting on me was starting to make me a little nervous. All my apprehension dissolved to zip when she led me into the bathroom and stood me in front of the mirror. My breath stopped short when I saw the woman in the mirror looking back at me. The foundation Claudine had used made my skin luminous. Smoky grey eye shadow, some dark grey eyeliner, and black mascara gave my eyes a seductive look that was fit for a movie or a magazine cover. Pale pink blush on my cheeks and soft pink lipstick completed her masterpiece.

I looked in the mirror at Claudine's reflection behind me and she smiled as she gave me a slow wink. "Now let's do something with your hair that's just as dramatic." She was really getting excited by her work, and I was more than grateful she had popped in. This time she allowed me to watch her progress in the mirror as she brushed, pinned, curled, and sprayed. The end result was a chignon held in place by a long silver-colored side comb with little sparkling rhinestones. She had let little tendrils of hair fall around my face and neck to soften the look. "Magnificent!" she exclaimed and she spun me around and led me by the hand to my closet.

She quickly located my new dress and held it up in front of me. "Oooh, this is just too gorgeous for words. You're going to look absolutely _ravishing_ in this!" she predicted. She removed the dress from its hanger and quickly helped me into it. After zipping up the back, she held out my shoes, and my ensemble was complete.

"Omigosh! I almost forgot!" I ran to my chest of drawers and retrieved the little blue box from my panty drawer. I donned the diamond and platinum earrings Eric had given me and Claudine drew in a sharp breath. A shower of sparkles fell on my shoulders as the light danced off the stones.

"Oh, Sookie," she whispered softly. "They're incredible."

"I know. I didn't want to take them. I told him I would feel like a kept woman. They probably cost more than I make in a year." I made a grim face.

"Well, I'm sure he did pay handsomely for them," Claudine agreed. "But I believe you should just accept them in the spirit they were given. Enjoy something nice for a change."

"You're right, Claudine," I acquiesced. "Eric did say it would please him if I wore them tonight, and that's what I'll do."

Tires crunching down the gravel driveway signaled that my ride was here. I gave Claudine a wide-eyed look. "OK, I guess this is it. Wish me luck?"

"Sweetie, you don't need luck, just be you. But you could use this." Another snap of her fingers produced a black silk shawl that was woven with fine silvery threads. It complemented my dress perfectly.

"Oh, Claudine, it's beautiful. Thank you." I reached out to hug her and she wrapped the shawl around my shoulders.

"_Carpe diem_, Sookie," she whispered in my ear as she hugged me back. "_Carpe vita_."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

A/N - My heartfelt thanks to all of you for your kind words of encouragement. I appreciate all your reviews and PMs and welcome any and all constructive criticism. Remember -- this is my first fanfic and I'm counting on you to guide me through this!

_CAUTION_ -- ESN ahead! (I must admit, these are the most difficult chapters for me to write. I laughingly told my husband I just don't think I'm a "heaving bosom/throbbing member" type of author. Hence, the delay in posting. I beg your forgiveness.)

As always, the characters (except the ones you don't recognize from the books) are the property of Ms. Harris. I am simply borrowing them for our amusement and I hope she doesn't mind sharing with us.

CHAPTER 10

I climbed into the back seat of the black Escalade and the driver shut the door behind me. The inside of the SUV seemed cavernous from the back seat. I sank deep into the supple leather and looked around. The interior was covered with rich black leather and accented with warm wood trim. There were actually DVD screens built into the back of the front headrests and two more screens mounted overhead. _Wow_, I thought. _I coulda brought something to watch on the ride to Shreveport._ Instead, I relaxed into the seat and watched out the window as we drove.

I guess I must have dozed for a few minutes, because the next thing I knew we were driving through the streets of Shreveport. We pulled into the parking lot at Fangtasia and the driver stopped close to the front door. He opened my door, and I thanked him as I got out of the car.

The parking lot was full and there was a long line, mostly vamps, waiting to get in. Pam was on door duty, greeting the guests as they arrived. She waved me to the front of the line when she saw me. From the piercing looks I got from the crowd, if I had been able to read vampire minds I would have found I was being contemplated as the main course on tonight's dinner menu. "Sookie, it is so good to see you," Pam greeted me. "Aren't you a delectable little morsel tonight?" She arched an eyebrow as her eyes took me in from head to toe. Her nostrils flared slightly as she finished her inspection, and I guessed Claudine's scent was still lingering from when she hugged me.

"Hey, Pam." I returned her greeting with a half-smile. "You look lovely." Pam had forgone her usual gothic door-greeting garb tonight and was wearing a black Dolce & Gabbana bustier-style cocktail dress made of stretchy black satin. It molded perfectly to her trim shape, and the effect was stunning.

"My master is expecting you," she said as she grabbed my arm and ushered me inside. Clancy, who had been standing behind Pam at the door, now moved into position to greet the new arrivals. "He will be pleased you could come tonight," she commented as she led me through the crowd that had begun to fill the bar. "In more ways than one, I am sure, judging by the way you are dressed," she added dryly.

I had the decency to blush like I didn't know what she meant, but since I couldn't think of an appropriately catty response I just kept still. Pam was nearly dragging me by the arm, her eyes scanning the crowd for Eric as we weaved through the throng of bodies. I felt his presence through the bond just as she spied him and made a beeline to where he was standing. I looked across the sea of heads and saw him standing near his regular booth talking to Victor Madden and two other people, one human and one vamp, who weren't familiar to me.

Eric must have sensed me as well because he looked up from his conversation to follow my approach. His sapphire eyes never left mine as Pam dragged me through the crowd to where he was standing. He looked magnificent in a suit of shimmering black silk that fit so well I just knew he didn't buy it off the rack. His gray-on-gray striped tie was the same charcoal shade as his shirt, and his blond tresses were pulled back into a low ponytail. Beautiful is not the adjective one would use to describe a thousand-year-old vampire with Eric's status and power, but he was to me.

I stood there regarding him for what seemed like an eternity, but I knew it was really no longer than a few seconds. I knew I shouldn't be nervous in his presence, especially since last night, but that didn't keep my knees from shaking or my palms from sweating. I could feel my nervous smile start to creep across my face, and it took every ounce of resolve in my body to keep it at bay. I closed my eyes briefly to regain my composure, and when I opened them I was nearly toe-to-toe with him.

Eric smiled at me and leaned down to kiss my cheek. "Hello, lover," he whispered in my ear so only I could hear him. He sniffed a couple of times and I groaned inwardly. "You smell..._delicious_." He stood straight again and looked down at me with barely-concealed amusement. I glanced at Pam and her eyes were filled with sadistic glee. I knew that if I made it through the night unscathed, I would have some explaining to do.

_Way to go, Stackhouse_, I chided myself. _Trust you to hug a fairy right before coming to a bar full of vampires. What'd you do – eat an extra bowl of stupid for breakfast this morning? _

Eric put his arm around my shoulder and turned me to the rest of his group. "Victor, you remember Sookie."

Victor nodded his greeting in vampire fashion, and I inclined my head to him. "Miss Stackhouse, it is a pleasure to see you again."

"Mr. Madden," I replied. For Eric's sake I hoped my distaste for him wasn't too apparent. I hadn't trusted Victor since he lied to Eric and told him he brought four vamps, not nine, to my house to deliver the news of de Castro's takeover.

Eric turned to the other two members of the group. "Gentlemen, may I introduce Miss Sookie Stackhouse," he announced formally, as his arm slipped down around my waist and he pulled me possessively close to his side. "Sookie, this is Michel Ledoux, Sheriff of Area One," he indicated the vamp, "and this is Gavin McPherson; he handles Victor's daytime affairs."

"Pleased to meet you," I nodded as I regarded both men. Michel Ledoux was a striking figure, a couple of inches over six feet, with a trim, muscular build. His thick brown hair was parted on the side and fell to his collar. Full brows hooded his dark brown eyes and his face sported faint razor stubble. On him it looked sensuous, not scruffy. He appeared to have been in his late twenties when he was turned; I had no idea how long ago that was.

Gavin McPherson was a doughy-looking man in his early thirties, several inches shorter than Michel. His thin, mousy-brown hair was cropped short; wire-rimmed glasses framed his watery blue eyes. His pallid color was only a couple of shades darker than Michel's. All in all he was a most unlikely-looking character to have such an important position among Victor's minions.

"Goodtameetcha," Gavin mumbled and extended his hand. I offered mine, and thought that shaking hands with him was like grabbing hold of a dead fish.

Before I could lower my hand down to my side, Michel had grabbed it and raised it to his lips. "The pleasure is truly mine, Miss Stackhouse," he said smoothly as he placed a kiss on the back of my hand. His eyes, which never left my face, had a devilish look of defiance, like someone who knew he was misbehaving but didn't care one bit that he was. Even if he was a sheriff and had the same rank as Eric, he was perilously close to a major breach of protocol with the thinly muted sexuality of his introduction.

I could feel Eric's body tense and his arm pulled me even closer to his side. Michel was walking the fine line between bravery and stupidity where Eric was concerned; I just hoped he was smart enough to know which side to fall toward if he stumbled.

We were spared further discomfort when the waitress, a petite, red haired human, came to take our order. Eric, Victor, and Michel ordered TrueBloods, Gavin ordered a diet coke, and I asked for a gin and tonic.

Whether it was the rank of those she was waiting on, or whether our waitress (I later learned her name was Debra) was exceptionally efficient, our drinks were returned to us in the matter of a few short minutes. No sooner than we had them in hand, Eric made our excuses to the others. "If you gentlemen would excuse us for a moment, Miss Stackhouse and I have urgent business we must attend to."

My eyes shot up to his and I gave him a _"WTF?"_ look. Victor looked suspicious; Gavin looked stunned; Michel and Pam could barely contain their mirth. His arm still around my waist, Eric swiftly guided me through the crowd toward the _Employees Only_ door that led to the back hallway. _And his office_, I realized.

In record time we were down the hall and through the office door, which Eric promptly closed behind us. I knew I was in serious trouble when I heard him slide the bolt into place. He quickly pinned me to the back of the door with his body and his lips crushed mine in a searing kiss. His tongue explored my mouth as his hands roamed my body. When my initial seconds of surprise wore off, I wound my arms around Eric's neck and leaned into his kiss. My tongue mingled with his, eliciting a low growl from his throat. He pressed against me and I could feel the evidence of his want against my thigh.

"I have waited all evening for this, lover" he whispered against my mouth. "I have been hard since I woke tonight, just thinking about you in this dress." His assault moved from my lips down to my neck; his fangs had run out and I felt them graze my skin as he worked his way down to the hollow between my neck and collarbone. He kissed and nipped at my shoulder, and I thought I would faint from my sheer want of him.

Eric stopped his downward trek when he reached my chest. "Lover, why do you smell so strongly of fairy?" His raised up to look me in the eyes.

"Uh, that would be because Claudine popped in to help me get ready tonight," I answered breathlessly. Eric may have suspended his attack on my senses, but I was still reeling from his nearness. "And she hugged me as I was leaving the house."

Eric chuckled softly. "I thought you would have better sense than to hug a fairy before coming to a vampire party," he scolded. "I will have my hands full tonight, for sure, trying to keep everyone off of you. It appeared Michel was going to ravage you right there in the middle of the bar. I thought it prudent to make a quick exit so I could...how do you say..._beat him to the punch._"

Before I could respond, Eric put his hands under my bottom and picked me up. My arms were still around his neck, and I circled his waist with my legs. He carried me to his desk and sat me on the edge. His mouth resumed its assault on mine, and as our tongues danced I heard a low rumble from Eric's chest. His hand slid under my dress and up my thigh until his fingers were inside my thong. His progress halted and his head flew back to look at me. His brilliant blue eyes were wide with amazement. "Lover, what did you do?" There was no mistaking the total shock in his voice.

Embarrassment flooded me like a tidal wave on a beach and I blushed all the way down to my chest. "I, um, got carried away with the razor?" I was somewhere between stating fact and asking for belief.

"Hmmmmm," Eric speculated. "Maybe I should make sure you didn't accidentally nick yourself. You may have a scrape that needs healing." I watched his famous leer paint his face and I could only image what lay ahead.

Eric slipped my wannabe panties down my legs and tossed them into a corner of the office. He knelt down in front of me and began to explore my newly shorn folds with his mouth. My breath caught in my throat as his tongue darted in and out of my entrance. He then replaced his tongue with two talented fingers as his tongue flicked at my nub. Eric's ministrations and the erotic idea of being taken on his desk had me at the brink of climax in mere seconds. Two nips and I was already moaning his name.

Surprisingly, Eric didn't continue, but instead stood up and quickly unfastened his belt and pants. He didn't remove them, but simply pushed them down around his ankles. His gracious plenty seemed even more plentiful and hard enough to drive nails, and I wondered if the idea of impromptu animal lust on the top of his desk was as erotic to him as it was to me.

"I am going to fuck you now." Simple, direct, no beating around the bush. I wasn't sure if it was a warning or a promise; all I knew was I wanted to feel him inside me.

Eric's strong hands gripped my hips as he leaned forward and thrust into me in one fluid movement. My legs went around his waist and I locked my ankles for better leverage. His kiss was bruising as he pounded into me; the intensity of his lust was such that I knew neither one of us would last long. I felt myself nearing the edge of my orgasmic cliff; my head went back and I couldn't stop myself from calling his name. "Eric, oh god...Eric..." I let him lead me over the edge, and as I was falling he leaned down and bit my neck. The pulses of my orgasm matched each beat of my heart as he drew on the wound. I felt Eric shudder as he came inside me.

The aftershocks were as intense as the sex had been and I clung to Eric, breathless and a little dizzy. As Eric licked the wounds on my neck to heal them, I took a few deep breaths and tried to gather my wits about me.

"Lover, you are incredible," he murmured against my mouth as he kissed me softly. "I spend many hours in this office and I have often fantasized about fucking you here. Thank you for helping me bring that fantasy to fruition." He paused to give me an evil smirk. "The rest we will play out in due time."

Eric winked at me as he pulled up his pants and for a moment I was saddened to see his gracious plenty be stowed away. I stood up and smoothed my dress as my eyes searched the office for my underwear. I found them laying on the back of the couch, and I went to put them on.

Eric grabbed me for one last kiss, which left me breathless all over again. "It pleases me you wore the earrings," he said softly. "After giving you an entire driveway of rocks, I decided you should also have rocks of a more, shall we say, intimate nature."

"They really are beautiful, Eric." I replied. "I've never received such a gift before."

"You are beautiful, lover. And I intend to show you every day just how beautiful you are. Now, shall we go mingle with the hordes?" With that, he offered me his arm and we walked back down the hallway toward the main floor of the bar.

Eric held the door open for me as he guided me through by my elbow. When he followed through behind me, his arm went around my waist again to hold me close to his side. As we made our way through the crowd toward his regular booth, I caught the fleeting thoughts of the humans in the crowd.

'_I wish I knew what her secret was...I've been trying to get him to notice me for weeks...'_

'_What does he see in her, anyway? She looks too prissy to know how to satisfy a real vampire. I could give him what he really needs...'_

'_Look at that...fresh fang marks on her neck...guess we know what they've been doing...'_

I looked around at the vamps and got expressions that ranged from incredulousness to envy. I glanced up at Eric and was mortified by the smug look on his face. At that point I realized that fang marks on neck plus smell of sex (which I knew the humans couldn't detect but the vampires could) equaled Viking conquest.

I flushed with embarrassment as I realized Eric had orchestrated our office tryst to erase any trace of Claudine's fairy smell, at the same time marking me as _his_. It wasn't his style to leave bite marks on my neck; now I knew why he did tonight. My mind raced as I planned the berating I would give him when we were alone again.

When we reached the booth he motioned for me to sit, and he slid in beside me. I was glad I was sitting on the inside – I figured I could hide myself between Eric and the wall.

I braved a peeked at the crowd and saw dozens of pairs of eyes staring at us. If there ever was such a thing as an _OSM_, this was certainly the topper. Eric was completely nonplussed by the whole episode, which made me even more embarrassed and irritated.

As I was desperately wishing for the booth (or the wall, or the floor...at this point it didn't matter which) to swallow me up, Pam flung herself into the booth across from us. Her eyes widened as she saw the bite marks on my neck. I saw her delicately sniff the air and there was an instant gleam in her eye. "Where on earth have you two been?" she asked coyly. "The party has begun and everyone has been asking for you."

Pam then directed her attention to me. Her smug voice was smooth as silk. "I told you my master would be pleased." That Pam.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

A/N - I continue to be humbled by your wonderful reviews and PMs. Your support means more than words can say. BTW - Grandma is doing better; thanks for all of your words of concern.

As always, the characters (except the ones you don't recognize from the books) are the property of Ms. Harris. I am simply borrowing them for our amusement and I hope she doesn't mind sharing with us.

CHAPTER 11

I flushed with embarrassment all over again. By the look on Eric's face, I could tell he was stifling a smile of triumph, but his voice was steel. "Pamela, that will be enough."

"I am sorry," Pam lowered her eyes contritely. But I knew she wasn't sorry in the least. She never passed up a chance to get Eric's goat when the opportunity presented itself. It was all part of her charm.

Eric turned to me and took my hand. "Lover, would you care for something else to drink?"

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks," I replied numbly. Actually, I thought several more drinks would be even greater. I wasn't much of a drinker, but the way the night was going I knew I was going to need a buffer of some sort.

Eric motioned to Debra, who had been keeping an eye on our table while she waited on several others. She was there in an instant to take our order and returned just as quickly with two TrueBloods and a gin and tonic. I downed mine in one gulp before Debra even had the chance to leave our table.

Eric's eyes flew wide for a split second, then he frowned at me. "Would you like another?" he offered haltingly. I could tell he was hoping I wouldn't.

"Why not?" I countered. I figured I'd already left every shred of dignity I had in Eric's office. Besides, public inebriation could kick public humiliation's ass every time.

I glanced over at Pam and saw she was grinning from ear to ear. Oh, she was definitely in her groove tonight. Mischief and mayhem were two of the things she loved most in the world.

Debra returned quickly with my drink and I took a long draw off of it. I could feel a faint glowing buzz already starting to tickle my insides and realized I couldn't remember if I had eaten anything since breakfast.

Yep, it was shaping up to be a banner night.

From across the bar I heard the sounds of a local vampire band, the evening's entertainment, setting up on the platform that usually housed Eric's throne. I sneaked a peek around Eric and watched as they made their preparations to play. I noticed their banner on the wall – _The Grateful Undead_ – and groaned at the cheesiness of it. One could only hope their musical talent was better than their monicker.

Looking out across the bar, I saw buffet tables, manned by staff in E(E)E uniforms _(who else?)_, set up near the band platform. They were serving hors d'oeuvres to the humans and there was TrueBlood for the undead guests. There was also a group of humans lingering along the back wall, near the restrooms, each wearing a tag indicating they were a Willing Donor...for the vamps who wanted The Real McCoy. _Ick_.

Pam got up to see that everything was going smoothly with the band's set-up, leaving Eric and me alone in the booth. He turned toward me, his eyes studying my face for a moment before he spoke. "Lover, I know you think I was taking advantage of you with the whole office seduction thing."

_You bet your grandma's sweet ass I do._ I really wanted to say that, but prudence told me this wasn't the time or the place. "Uh huh," was my only response as I put on my best stern face. I picked up my gin and tonic and tossed back what was left of it. _Where was Debra, anyway?_

"My intentions were not entirely dishonorable, I assure you. I wanted to get you alone in my office the minute I saw you walk in. Granted, my plans were altered a bit when you came in reeking of fairy; I had to act quickly or mayhem surely would have followed."

"How charming," I replied drolly. _These vamps sure knew how to sweep a girl off her feet. _

I brooded silently for a moment, staring at the empty space across the table. Debra passed by our table and noticed my empty glass. "May I bring you another, Miss Stackhouse?" Man, she was good. _Note to self: tell Eric to give this girl a raise._

"That would be splendid!" I beamed at her. She sheepishly returned my smile and I could see her apprehension disappearing with each gin and tonic. _Wait – maybe that was my apprehension..._

I stole a glance at Eric; his mouth was set in a grim line. "Lover, maybe you should pace yourself," he suggested. "There is still a lot of night ahead of us."

"Don't you worry your gorgeous blond head about me, Viking. I'm just ducky." Liquid fortitude was better than none at all, and Debra was seeing to it that I had more than my fair share. I smiled sweetly at Eric. "Let's dance, shall we?"

I let Eric lead me to the dance floor as the band began to play _One More Night_. He took me in his arms and we began to sway back and forth to the music. I may not be able to carry a tune in a bushel basket, but I can cut a rug with the best of them, even with three-inch heels on my feet and three drinks under my belt. Eric's vampire litheness made him an excellent dance partner and he skillfully maneuvered us around the floor. He held me close and I leaned into him, his chin on my head as I rested it on his chest.

Eric hummed softly to the music in a warm baritone. "This feels so..._right_," he whispered into my hair.

"Mmmm hmmm," I murmured my assent.

"Much better than arguing."

"Don't push your luck, Buster," I warned into his chest. "I'm still not done with you yet."

"Rest assured, lover, _I _am not yet done with _you_," Eric promised as he pulled me closer. The sultriness of his voice...plus his massive hard-on that was now pressing into my lower abdomen...roused my libido and nearly dissolved the bones in my legs. The score was now thirty-love in favor of the Viking and I could see I was rapidly losing ground.

Our lover's Wimbledon match was interrupted by a tap on Eric's shoulder. "May I cut in?" Victor inquired with the all the politeness of a python asking if he could devour a rabbit.

Through the bond I felt Eric momentarily bristle with irritation. "Of course," he smiled at Victor with thinly veiled disdain as he passed me over to him. He bowed slightly to Victor, gave me a "please don't say or do anything to incite a riot" look, and returned to his booth.

Victor's right arm went around my back as he took my right hand with his left. He tried to pull me close to his body, but I stiffened in his arms and kept my own space. Another time, under different circumstances, I might have given Victor my consideration. He was stylish, extremely good looking, and had a winsome smile. Unfortunately, I trusted him about as far as I could pick him up and toss him, this emotion having recently been reinforced by Bubba's espionage.

"Miss Stackhouse, you do look exceptionally lovely tonight," he crooned. "Considerable time has passed since we last spoke, I'm sorry to say." His step was light and smooth, and we glided effortlessly around the dance floor.

"Yeah, well, I guess we've both been..._busy_." I all but spat the last word, pulling my punch at the last second when I remembered the warning look Eric had given me as he was leaving the dance floor.

"Yes, well, the transition has consumed a great deal of my time. There is still so much to be done, and with Felipe in Las Vegas most of the time, much of that responsibility falls to me." He feigned a heavy sigh, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

Three back-to-back gin and tonics fueled my nerve, so I decided to press Victor a little further. "So how are things going, anyway?" I tried to sound like I was making polite conversation. Truth was I thought this might be a good opportunity to glean little tidbits of information from him.

"Oh, you know, comme ci, comme ca...setting up headquarters in New Orleans, orienting the new sheriffs, trips back and forth to Nevada...never a dull moment!" He flashed me a toothy smile. Victor couldn't have been more evasive if he'd tried. I actually hadn't expected him to relinquish every detail, but he just wasn't giving up the goods tonight. I would have to resort to Plan B...just as soon as I came up with it.

This sure would have been a good time to be able to read vamp minds.

The song ended and Victor escorted me back to Eric, who stood so that I could slide back into my seat. Raising my hand to his lips, Victor bowed and kissed it chivalrously. "Thank you, Miss Stackhouse, for the pleasure of the dance." There was a glint in his eye as he added, "I sincerely hope it will not be our last one of the evening." With a quick nod to Eric, he strode away into the crowd.

"When pigs fly, you self-absorbed buffoon," I said under my breath as I slid into the booth beside Eric.

Pam, who had returned while I was dancing with Victor, giggled wickedly.

Eric had also caught my snarky comment. "Now lover, is that any way to talk about your king's second in command?" he chided.

"Yeah, whatever," I mumbled. "And he's not _my_ king. None of this vamp shit applies to me. I'm human, _remember?_" I grabbed the fresh gin and tonic Debra had brought while I was dancing and took a hefty sip.

"My dear, you are neck deep in 'vamp shit,' as you call it, whether you care to admit it or not," Eric reminded me. "The sooner you come to grips with that fact, the easier it will be for all of us to protect your gorgeous ass." He leaned close to my face and waggled his eyebrows. "Do not forget you are under the formal protection of the de Castro regime, and I will not forget just how..._human..._you are." His eyes smoldered at me, then he leaned over and licked the fang marks on my neck.

_Well hell, I'll drink to that._

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

A/N - Your reviews and PMs continue to inspire and overwhelm me. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you! You're the greatest!

As always, the characters (except the ones you don't recognize from the books) are the property of Ms. Harris. I am simply borrowing them for our amusement and I hope she doesn't mind sharing with us.

CHAPTER 12

I was disappointed that I couldn't get any hints from Victor as to what he was thinking or planning. Even though I shuddered at the prospect, I was going to have to dance with him again tonight or find some other way to ingratiate myself to him. I needed to get up and mingle around, maybe even listen in on Gavin's thoughts and see what I could learn.

When I roused from my musings, Eric was leaned over the table, embroiled in a discussion with Pam about one of Fangtasia's liquor suppliers. _I thought this was supposed to be an entertaining evening._ I poked him in the ribs, eliciting a mildly disgruntled look. "Excuse me, but could you let me out, please? I need to visit the ladies room."

"What?" His voice contained just a hint of irritation. You would have thought I had disturbed an international treaty hearing at the U.N. or something.

"You know..._human needs?_"

"Oh, sorry." Eric stood to the side of the booth, taking my hand to help me out. As I started to walk away, he grabbed my arm and spun me back to him. Wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me close, Eric kissed me with skill that could only be learned with a thousand years of practice. "One for the road," he said with a wink.

I was more than a little unsteady on my feet as I walked toward the door leading to the back hallway, a combination of the lingering effects of Eric's kiss, three-inch heels, and way too much gin. I passed by the Willing Donors, and hard as I tried to put my shields up, a few of their thoughts sneaked through.

'_My god, did you see the way he kissed her? I'd give anything to be in her shoes..."_

'_She is one lucky bitch...wonder if they're into threesomes...'_

'_Sure wish I could have been a fly on the wall earlier while he was doing her...'_

I hurried my step toward the door so I could get past their ugly thoughts. Even after a lifetime of hearing people's dark and nasties, some things could still turn my stomach.

The employee restroom was empty so I went in and locked the door behind me. I carefully examined myself in the mirror. Outwardly, Claudine's magic was still miraculously intact. A few more tendrils of hair may have escaped my updo, but they only added to its softness. Surprisingly, my makeup wasn't noticeably smudged after Eric's and my little office episode. I probably would have felt better if I splashed some cold water on my face, but I didn't want to ruin all of Claudine's hard work. Instead, I took care of business, washed my hands, and freshened my lip gloss.

With one last look in the mirror, I was out the door and headed back down the hallway.

When I returned to the bar, I headed to the buffet table to check out the food. I figured I should probably put something solid in my stomach to soak up a little of the alcohol I had swilled down. The food smelled and looked wonderful. I filled a small plate with a couple of stuffed mushrooms, a couple of pieces of rumaki, and a few small meatballs in barbeque sauce. I stood off to the side and regarded the crowd while I munched.

I silently watched the mingling bodies; some of them I recognized as Fangtasia regulars, some of the unknowns I was sure were friends of the new regime.

I was just starting to feel a little more collected when a big, black cloud disguised as one Bill Compton made its way through the crowd to rain on my parade. He stopped in front of me and leaned in to kiss my cheek. He stood back abruptly; the look of disgust on his face was unmistakable. "My god, Sookie, you reek of fairy and fucking! What have you been up to?" _What the hell happened to Southern manners? _He noticed the fang marks on my neck and the look on his face said if he were human he would have thrown up, right there in the middle of the bar.

"Hello to you, too, Bill," I replied in my best drier-than-the-Sahara voice. "It's _so_ nice to see you...and it's none of your fucking business what I've been up to..._or with whom_," I added for emphasis. It wasn't really my nature to drop F-bombs, especially at a social gathering, but I was running on an overabundance of both adrenaline and gin, and something about seeing Bill here tonight brought out the worst in me.

To further punctuate my irritation at his unwelcome intrusion, I stuffed a piece of rumaki in my mouth and chewed with slow and deliberate exaggeration, just inches from his face. "Mmm mmm _mmm_," I swallowed dramatically and licked my lips slowly. The only thing that might have made the moment any better would have been a liberal dose of garlic on the rumaki.

There was no way for Bill to disguise the revulsion he was feeling from my eating in front of him. It had always made him uncomfortable while we were dating; I'd even had to brush my teeth after eating before he would kiss me.

All of this paled in comparison, though, as my memory whisked me back to the humiliation and revulsion I felt during our trip to Dallas, when Bill brought another human to our hotel room to feed. I had waited in the bedroom, but the closed door between us hadn't been enough to block the sounds coming from the other room. The bile rising in my throat at the recollection just pushed more hostility for Bill to the surface.

"So, what is it you want, Bill?" I asked him sharply.

He shuffled uncomfortably before answering. "I just wanted to say hello and see how you were." His voice was so low I could barely hear it over the band. He already knew how I was – he practically stalked my house every night, under the pretense of watching over me.

Debra picked that moment to walk past and I called out to her. "Could you be a dear and bring another gin and tonic, please?" I thought I'd been done with alcohol for the night, but my encounter with Bill had me doing a complete one-eighty.

The redhead smiled and nodded as she headed to the bar. I felt so punchy I'd purposely disregarded good manners and didn't ask Bill if he wanted Debra to bring him a blood.

"Heard from _Selah_ since she moved to Little Rock?" My words dripped with sarcasm.

"Sookie, please. I did not mean to upset you. I only wanted to tell you..."

I put my hand to his lips before he could continue. "Nope, not, no way. We are so not going to have this conversation here tonight."

Bill reached up for my hand and placed a kiss in my palm before lowering it. Sadness and resignation filled his eyes. "If you would only let me explain..."

I pulled my hand back as if I had been burned. My piercing look stopped him mid-sentence. "Bill, no. No apologies, no excuses. We had our time, now it's over. I belong to Eric now. Deal with it."

"I will never be able to deal with the thought of you being with another..." Bill began, but was interrupted by Debra's return with my drink. _This girl was officially my hero._

"Well, Bill, it's been a slice, but I have mingling to do." I smiled at him breezily and left him standing with his arms hanging dejectedly at his sides and his jaw somewhere in the vicinity of the floor.

I meandered slowly around the bar, sipping my drink and doing my best to block the thoughts of the humans in the crowd. As I neared the door to the back hallway, I saw it open slightly and a familiar head half-peeked through the crack.

"Sookie, over here," Bubba whispered frantically.

I quickly stepped through the door and led Bubba down the hallway and into the supply closet, closing the door behind us. "I haven't seen you all night, Bubba. What's going on?"

"I've just been trying to keep a low profile...you know...see if I can pick up anything." I saw Bubba sniff the air once and a sheepish look came over his face. "Uh, Sookie, this is really embarrassing, and I, um, wouldn't say this except, uh, you've been wandering around in a bar full of vampires and, uh...why do you smell like sex and fairies?"

I cringed, thinking the scent must be really bad for Bubba to mention it. "Long story, Bubba." _Time to change the subject – quick._ "Any luck with the recon so far?" I hoped he was faring better than I was.

"Not so far, at least not tonight," he answered. "But I was hiding out in the lobby of the Bon Nuit this morning and overheard Gavin McPherson talking on his cell to someone named Justin. I heard him mention Miami and he said something about meeting with Victor on Wednesday."

"That doesn't give us much time to find out what's going on, Bubba." I hesitated a minute before I continued, knowing Bubba would balk at what I was going to ask him.

"You know, Bubba, this would be a lot easier if we let Eric in on what's going on."

"No way, Sookie." Bubba shook his head furiously. "If anyone else finds out about me, it'll be all over for Bubba." He pointed at himself to punctuate his fear.

"Bubba, listen to me," I tried to reason with him. "You can trust Eric. I know he'll keep your secret. He doesn't like Victor any more than you do."

I could sense Bubba's resolve start to crack, so I pressed on. "Eric is very powerful, Bubba. He knows a lot of people. We stand a much better chance of averting a disaster if we let him help us."

Bubba leaned back against the wall and looked upward as if he were seriously considering my request. "I don't know, Sookie..." he said skeptically.

"Please, Bubba," I pleaded. "I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think it was really necessary."

"Okay, okay, let's tell him." The look in Bubba's eyes told me the jury was still out on the okay part.

Bubba's concession took a huge weight off my shoulders, and I reached over and hugged him. "Wait right here, I'll go get Eric." I left the storeroom and headed back to the bar.

I spied Eric once again talking with Victor, Michel, and Gavin. There was another vamp with them, someone else I didn't recognize. Eric saw me walking toward them and frowned a little at my fresh drink, but held out his hand to me. I took it and he pulled me close to his side. My little encounter with Bubba had a sobering effect and I was feeling a little more steady as I greeted the crowd.

Eric introduced me to the new vampire. "My dear, this is Edward Burroughs, Sheriff of Area Four. Edward, may I present Sookie Stackhouse."

"I'm happy to meet you, Mr. Burroughs." I nodded my head in vampire greeting.

Edward returned my nod with a genuine look in his eyes. "Miss Stackhouse, it is my pleasure." His smile was warm and friendly; green eyes sparkled under a cap of unkempt auburn hair. The pallor of his face was accentuated by a sprinkling of freckles on his nose and cheeks. He appeared to have been turned when he was very young, maybe fifteen or sixteen.

I thought briefly about Sophie-Anne, how young she had been when she was turned, and how she had ascended to the rank of Queen of Louisiana before her final death. The thought of her demise made my loathing for Victor increase tenfold. I fought back a scowl as I glanced at him.

Eric glanced down at me with sparkling eyes before turning his attention to the crowd. His arm tightened around my waist. "Gentlemen, now that we're all here, I have an announcement." Eric paused. "Sookie...is my bonded."

_Shut the fuck up..._

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

A/N - Your reviews and PMs are treasures to me -- thank you from the bottom of my heart! You are a terrific audience and I love you all!

As always, the characters (except the ones you don't recognize from the books) are the property of Ms. Harris. I am simply borrowing them for our amusement and I hope she doesn't mind sharing with us.

CHAPTER 13

I nearly choked as the air rushed out of my lungs. I gave Eric my second _"WTF?"_ look of the night and wondered why he would make such an announcement. We had only just admitted to each other last night that we really meant something to each other. Why would he want to go blabbing about our blood bond, especially here tonight, to these particular vampires? It wasn't any of their damn business.

Our blood bond really wasn't public knowledge and I liked it that way. I hadn't exactly been a willing participant when it happened. I had come to accept it and even embrace it, but I felt it was Eric's and my business alone. The fact that we were also connected on an intimate level made the bond all that more private in my book.

Oh, Felipe had recognized it the night he, Eric, and Sam were attacked by Sigebert; whether he had revealed his discovery to others was anyone's guess. Andre had been the precipitator of, and a sort-of witness to the actual bonding process. I was pretty sure he had told Sophie-Anne about it, but as they say, finally-dead vampires tell no tales. Quinn also knew, but he had been out of the picture for some time and I figured he was gone for good.

Victor's eyebrows nearly scaled the height of his forehead before he exclaimed, "Well, that explains a lot, doesn't it?" He glanced quickly at Michel and Gavin before turning his attention back to Eric. "All the better for her to be under the protection of the de Castro regime, right Northman?" Victor was trying to be smooth, but something in his eyes screamed Ulterior Motive.

'_Well, shit. If she's bonded to the Viking, that could change everything...' _Gavin's thoughts projected to me in stereo. _'Then again, that just might be our ace in the hole...'_

I did my best to not let my shock and horror go to my face. "Eric, could I possibly speak with you in private for a moment?" I gave my best apologetic smile to the group and pulled Eric away by the hand.

I turned to Eric when we got into the back hall. "What the hell was that all about? Why did you tell them we're bonded?"

"Well, first of all, we _are_ bonded." Eric stated simply, as if he were reasoning with a small child. "Secondly, Victor was hinting at some things I did not care for, and I thought public knowledge of our status might help dampen his desires."

"Desires? What desires? Eric, what's going on?"

"It seems, my dear, Victor is hinting that Felipe may ask for your assistance, both in Las Vegas and New Orleans."

_Oh hell, not again._ "What kind of assistance?" I hoped Eric knew the sharpness of my tone wasn't directed at him, but at the vamp political system in general.

"Victor was reluctant to say, exactly. That is what is really peculiar." A thoughtful look came over Eric's face. "He actually seemed to dodge any specific questions I had for him regarding what Felipe required of you."

I pondered that for a moment. Victor's vagueness this evening lent even more credibility to Bubba's theories of him.

That line of thought reminded me Bubba was still hiding in the storeroom. "Oh, crap, Eric. I almost forgot. I need you to come with me for a minute." I took his hand and started leading him down the hallway.

"My, my, lover. Twice in one night? To what do I owe this unexpected carnal pleasure?" I didn't have to look at his face to know the leer was there.

"Would you get your mind out of the gutter for one minute, please?" I scolded. "This involves Victor and it's serious business." By this time we were at the storeroom. I opened the door and led Eric in.

"_What the fuck?!"_ I'd expected Eric to be shocked when he saw Bubba, I'd just failed to gauge the extent of it. "Would someone care to explain to me what the fuck Bubba is doing hiding in my storeroom?"

I tried to send calming waves to Eric through the bond, the way he did to me when I was upset. "Eric, Bubba has something to share with you. He's been doing some, uh, recon the past few days and has some unsettling theories about Victor."

"Recon? _Bubba?_" Eric looked like someone had just slapped him. "What theories? Someone really _needs to tell me_ _**what the hell is going on here!**_" His voice got louder with each syllable.

"Shhhhh, keep your voice down or someone will hear you!" I looked at Bubba, who's face, though hard to believe, had gone whiter than his normal vampiric pallor. "Bubba, do you want to tell Eric what you know?"

Bubba swallowed hard, then looked nervously at me before turning his attention to Eric. "Eric, I believe Victor Madden is planning something big, something that could really shake things up around here. I'm not sure what yet, but I know he has been talking a lot lately with the King of Florida and his bunch."

Eric, the millennial rock who was the epitome of self-control, looked like he had been gut-punched. His eyes were wide, he was leaning slightly forward, and _deer in the headlights_ was written all over his beautiful face. Bubba and I watched and waited silently for the news to soak in. Deer in the headlights was quickly replaced by confusion, which in turn was replaced by curiosity.

"Bubba, you do not appear to be yourself tonight," Eric observed once he had regained his composure. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Bubba, then at me.

"Eric, it's a long story." I looked at him imploringly, hoping he would understand that tonight wasn't the night for details about Bubba's circumstances. "I can fill you in later, but the truth of the matter is, Bubba's okay. I mean really okay, not at all like what people think."

"I see." Eric's face went from curious to unreadable, but I could feel his mind whirling through the bond. "Tell me more."

Bubba's nerves were starting to ease up a little, and he recounted for Eric what he had learned at the Bon Nuit earlier in the day.

Eric's face clouded over for a second time. "Wait a minute...what do you mean, you were at the Bon Nuit..._today?_"

Bubba looked at me and I looked at Bubba, neither one of us really wanting to try and explain this one to Eric. I gathered my courage like a child taking his first jump off the high dive. "Bubba, uh...he, uh...can be up and about..."

"Just spit it out, for chrissakes." Eric was starting to get irritated at my stammering.

"Bubba's a daywalker," I said in a rush, running my words together.

"A _**WHAT**_?" Eric roared. For someone who had done and seen it all in his thousand years, he sure wasn't being very receptive to our latest developments.

"A daywalker, and keep your voice down," I shushed him for the second time.

"What do you mean...daywalker?" Eric's eyes narrowed slightly, a _you-had-better-give-me-some-answers-quick_ look filling his face.

"I mean he can be up and about during the day. Just like it sounds." I couldn't believe I had to explain this to Eric. Unless..."You mean you've never heard of a daywalker before?"

"Only in the movies," he replied. "I also understand there have been novels written about them. But I have never heard of one actually existing."

I turned my attention back to Bubba, who looked like he may have puffed a little with pride at his new unique status.

_OK, time to get the conversation back on track._

"So, what are we going to do about Victor?" I posed the question to both Eric and Bubba.

Eric looked thoughtful for a moment as he formulated a plan. "Okay, here is what we are going to do." Eric paused to look at Bubba and I could feel through the bond that he still wasn't believing what he was seeing. "You go back to the Bon Nuit after the party tonight. Keep your eyes open, but keep a low profile. And for God's sake, do not give yourself away to anyone. Report back to me here tomorrow night at ten. Come to the back door."

"Don't worry Mr. Eric," Bubba's face lit up as he slipped back into his "Bubba" persona. "I'm on it!" He actually winked at Eric as he slipped out the door.

Eric turned to me after Bubba's departure. "And exactly how long have you known about this?" he questioned, raising the brow over his right eye.

I puffed out my cheeks and exhaled. "When he delivered your message to my house on Wednesday night, I found out he wasn't..." I paused to think of a way to describe Bubba's charade "...I found out he was really okay. Then he came back this morning to tell me about hearing Gavin's phone conversation. That's when I found out he's a daywalker."

"Bubba's abilities are something we should certainly use to our advantage." Eric was so pragmatic it was almost disgusting. "I am still surprised he has been able to keep his true self hidden for so many years."

"I know, and he was adamant about keeping it that way." I gave Eric a serious look. "He didn't want to tell you."

"I can understand why," Eric replied. "His deception would not be taken lightly, were it discovered. You were wise to tell me, though. This situation sounds too serious for you and Bubba to handle by yourselves." He stepped close to me and lightly touched his lips to mine. "You, my dear, need to cease and desist with the alcohol so you can focus on Gavin's thoughts. He is Victor's day man, and as such he should have extensive knowledge of any subterfuge Victor may be planning."

Eric's words reminded me of what I heard from Gavin's thoughts when Eric announced our blood bond. "Oh, God, Eric. When you told everyone we were bonded, Gavin thought it would change everything. Then he thought something about me being their ace in the hole..." My blood chilled as I spoke.

Eric took me in his arms and sent comforting waves through the bond. "Do not worry, dear one. Victor's plans may not yet be known, but we will get to the bottom of this soon enough. I will have Compton research any connection between Victor, Felipe, and Julio Maldonado. That should keep him out of our hair for a day or two." He leaned back slightly and smiled down at me. "In the meantime, I will call the shifter and tell him you are unable to work for now. I do not believe it is safe for you to stay at your house by yourself. I will send Pam to Bon Temps tonight so she can pick up some of your things, and you will stay with me..."

"But..." I started to protest, but Eric silenced me with another kiss.

"No buts. You need protection right now, more than I can give you if you are in Bon Temps and I am here in Shreveport. You will stay with me at least until we get a better idea of what is in Victor's head."

I knew there was no sense in arguing with Eric. Once he made his mind up about something, he was about as moveable as Mount Everest. "Okay, okay. I'll stay with you for a few days. But I feel really bad about leaving Sam in a lurch at the bar."

"I will send one of my staff to cover for you in your absence," Mr. I Have An Answer For Everything replied. "I will cover her wages, so the shifter should not be inconvenienced in the least."

I wanted to say something to Eric about the money I would lose by not working, but after promising him last night I would think about his offer to let him take care of me, I decided to save that argument for later.

Eric leered down at me and gave me a wicked grin. "Come, let us get back to the party for now..." waggling his eyebrows at me he continued "...then, I believe I have a little recon of my own to do before this night is over."

Score: Viking forty, Telepath love. _Yep, it sure was._

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

A/N - OK, guys and gals. His Viking Vamp Godness paid me another little visit and told me he thought it best he tell the story for the next couple of chapters. Guess he got tired of having his man/vamp card trumped... Oh yeah, there's some ESN ahead, too. Did you really think he could tell a story without getting a little action?!

Your reviews and PMs continue to amaze and thrill me! You are the best audience in the world!

As always, the characters (except the ones you don't recognize from the books) are the property of Ms. Harris. I am simply borrowing them for our amusement and I hope she doesn't mind sharing with us.

CHAPTER 14

A tidal wave of love washed through the bond and over me as we returned to the bar. I smiled to myself as I looked around for Victor. He, Gavin, and Michel were at a table in the far corner of the room. I took Sookie's hand as we made our way to where they were sitting.

Victor watched our approach with amused interest. "Please, join us," his voice was patronizingly courteous as he indicated two empty chairs. "My, but you two certainly do seem to disappear suddenly," he observed.

Sookie flushed as Victor looked directly at her, his eyes dancing in his handsome face. _Fucking_ s_mug bastard_. My mind raced as I thought of a thousand ways I could torture this asshole.

"Tell me, Northman," he continued, his attention now focused on me. "Is our little telepath as much a distraction to your work ethic as she is to your social skills? If so, I'm sure Felipe could find use for her in Las Vegas, so you can get yourself back on track."

Flashes of anger came through the bond as Sookie's hand clenched in mine. I was holding her hand under the table, and I could feel she wanted to reach out and slap Victor's smug face. I willed my own rage back deep inside me and tried to send waves of calm to Sookie through the bond. If I did not get us out of here soon, I was going to slap the prick myself, or worse. _So much for recon tonight._

"Victor, I assure you my work ethic is impeccable," my voice was steady as I locked eyes with him. I wanted to make sure there was no mistaking the message in my next words. "As for my personal affairs, well, they are just that – _personal_."

A flicker of anxiety passed through Victor's eyes so quickly even I almost missed it. Being the consummate politician, he quickly recovered. "Yes, well, I meant no disrespect to you or your..._bonded_." He spat out the last word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

Victor was doing his best to goad me, but I was not going to let that happen. Not tonight. I knew I had to play my cards right if we wanted to win this game, and it was time to fold this hand. "Sookie and I came to bid you good evening. I am afraid she has...overindulged herself this evening, and I must see her safely home." Though I thought it unwise at the time, I was thankful Sookie had run amok with her drinking earlier in the evening. It gave us the perfect excuse to leave early and work on the first part of my counter-attack against Victor. My plucky little telepath had saved us again, without even realizing it.

I stood up and pulled Sookie to her feet. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, gentlemen. Please see my child, Pam, should you need anything."

"Northman," Victor called as we turned to leave. "Am I to assume you will be attending the ball for King de Castro in New Orleans at the end of the month?"

"Of course," I replied flatly. _As if I have other options._

"You do understand Miss Stackhouse's presence is also requested." There was no mistaking Victor's thinly veiled command.

"Sookie will be delighted to accompany me," I informed him. I nodded my head to Victor and turned away before he could come up with another reason to detain us. _Insolent son of a bitch._ I had to question the sanity of Felipe's judgment in trusting Victor with a position of such authority.

I scanned the room and quickly found my child behind the bar. I called her to me as Sookie and I made our way to the back hall. She caught up to us in my office.

"Pam -- Sookie and I are leaving," I told her. "You are in charge here for the remainder of the evening. After you close, go to Sookie's house and gather some things for her. She will be staying with me for a few days."

"Oh, goody!" Pam giggled.

A stern look from me told her our business was serious and she immediately heeled. The look in her eyes begged for details, but she knew better than to ask. Pam was my only child, my finest accomplishment in either life. I trusted her completely, but now was not the time for details.

"Sookie, what should I bring you?" Pam was all business as Sookie ran down the list of things she would need.

"Thanks, Pam. I really appreciate you doing this for me." Sookie produced a house key from her purse and pressed it into Pam's waiting palm.

I stopped for a moment to regard the two beings I cherished most. I knew the vulnerability of feelings and the dangers they wrought. Pam was strong, considering her relatively young age as a vampire, and I knew she could more or less take care of herself. But Sookie, she was so vulnerable, so fragile...

_I must be out of my fucking mind, letting myself get drawn in so deeply by a woman – and a human woman at that._

Not knowing for sure what Victor had up his sleeve, or who was involved in his mad scheme, I would have to tread carefully to keep us all in one piece.

"Come, lover, we should be going." I took Sookie's elbow and steered her out the back door and to my waiting car.

As I drove us through the streets of Shreveport to my private nest, I thought about Victor and what his grand plan might be. And I thought of Bubba..._fucking Bubba! __Who would have guessed?_ I chuckled to myself, earning a quizzical look from my bonded. Her eyes inquired but she said nothing.

Victor had to be planning a takeover, of that I was sure. The details, and what Julio Maldonado's role was, were still to be uncovered. Were his sights set only on Louisiana, or was he harboring designs on a grander scale? I had no clue at the moment, and precious little time to find out. Maybe Bill could find some obscure link on that fucking database of his.

Where my bonded figured into Victor's mad plan was an idea I dreaded considering. A feeling reminiscent of human nausea overtook me as I imagined the possibilities. Her close proximity to me, my need to protect her – I loathed and relished it at the same time. It was a double-edged sword, constantly piercing the very fiber of my being.

I knew what needed to be done to further ensure her safety. She should be receptive to my proposal...I hoped. Short of turning her (which I wanted and she did not), this was one thing I could offer to help protect her.

My mind whirled as I envisioned how the remainder of the night would be played out. The stirring in my groin grew with my anticipation. Sookie felt it through the bond and reached over to rub the bulge growing in the front of my pants. Her sideways glance reflected the love and wanton desire she was sending back through the bond to me.

I floored the accelerator and my Corvette roared to life. Damn the speed limit, damn the police. If we did not reach my house soon, I would be forced to pull over and take her by the side of the road. Better a ticket for speeding than one for public indecency.

Ten long, agonizing minutes later we arrived at my front gates. I keyed in the code on the remote opener and the gates swung wide to grant us access. A second code raised the garage door as we approached the house and I parked inside.

In a nanosecond I was around the car and opening Sookie's door, hurriedly helping her out. Not wanting our progress to be slowed by her mortal steps, I gathered her into my arms and swept her into the house.

I deposited Sookie on the first flat surface we reached, which was the end of the kitchen island. One look in her eyes told me she was as much on fire as I was. This would be an urgent coupling, the tumultuous merging of two beings into one. '_I will love you longer, later,'_ I silently promised her as I claimed her mouth with mine. For the moment, my only thought was burying myself as deep into her as physically possible.

I pulled her dress up around her hips and slipped a finger in the waistband of her thong. It quickly became a nylon memory as it fluttered in pieces to the kitchen floor. She opened her legs for me so I could step closer to her. I reached between them and buried my fingers in the wetness there as she fumbled with my belt and zipper. Her hands found their way inside my boxers to release my straining erection. Her touch was like fire and ice as she caressed my length. My fangs were out and her tongue danced around them as her hands stroked and teased.

A growl erupted from deep in my chest as I moved closer and buried myself in her warm center. Her breath caught in her throat as I filled her. S_o hot, so wet_...

I fought for control, knowing that if I were to lose myself completely to the intensity of my lust I would surely harm her. With her legs locked around my waist, I drove into her with as much abandon as I dared to allow myself. I could feel her muscles tightening around my shaft and I knew she would not last much longer. I grabbed her hips and held her to me as I carried us home.

She threw her head back and moaned...guttural noises I had not heard in decades. "Come on, Sookie. Come for me, lover..." I crooned. I leaned down and sank my fangs into the top of her breast, drawing just enough to bring us to completion. I knew I would be taking more later, quite a bit more, and I did not want to weaken her. She arched her back as her body was racked with the spasms of her climax. A voice I barely recognized as my own howled into the darkness of the room as I filled her with my release.

I stayed inside her as we leaned against each other for a minute to enjoy the little aftershocks, both of us panting and shaking.

"My god," my bonded murmured into my chest as she slowly regained control of her breathing.

"I am so glad you finally recognize that fact, dear one." I teased.

"You know what I meant," she playfully punched my shoulder.

_Game and set to the Viking._

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

A/N - Sorry this took a while to post. I was working on a couple of one-shots and had to put this on the back burner for a little bit. I'm rethinking the story line a little bit, so there may be a delay with the next chapter -- hopefully it won't be too long!!

Thanks again to all of you for your wonderful reviews and PMs. Since the only reward for writing in this fanfic is your praise, it really means a lot!

As always, the characters (except the ones you don't recognize from the books) belong to Ms Harris, and she is my hero for sharing them with us!

Once again, this is Eric's POV. He just seemed to have so much to say!

CHAPTER 15

"Welcome to my home," I waggled my eyebrows and grinned wickedly at Sookie as I separated myself from her and straightened my clothes. I flipped a switch on the wall and the kitchen was bathed in mellow light.

She smiled back at me. "So this is your house?" she asked, looking around the kitchen.

"This is one of them," I replied. "I have four homes in Shreveport: one for entertaining guests, two safe houses, and this one – my private nest, where I spend most of my free time. I will show the others to you soon." I stepped closer and looked down into her sparkling blue eyes. "Pam is the only other being who knows I live here," I said solemnly.

"I understand," she whispered. And I was sure she did.

I put my hands around her waist and lifted her off of the island. "Come lover," I invited as I took her hand. "I will show you around tomorrow. Tonight we have unfinished business, and the hour grows late."

"Unfinished business?" she queried as she followed me out of the kitchen and through the front entryway to the master suite on the opposite side of the house. I closed the door behind us and flicked a switch on the wall near the door, bathing the bedroom in soft light from two wall sconces on opposing sides of the room.

I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Sookie down to sit beside me. "Dear one, we must talk." I paused for a moment, words racing in my mind like a thunderhead rolling across an open plain. I needed to choose them carefully. I needed to make her understand the seriousness of the situation with Victor and how important it was for me to protect her.

It was match game. What I really needed was to not fuck this up.

"Okay, Eric." She half-smiled at me. So _beautiful, so strong, yet so fragile... _

"I have been thinking about our conversation with Bubba, and I believe I know what it is Victor is planning."

"You do?" Her voice was a whisper, as if Victor may somehow be listening in on our conversation.

"Victor wants Louisiana, I feel certain of it." I could see the shock on Sookie's face as I spoke the words. "He wants it badly. How he plans on taking it from Felipe I do not yet know. But I do know this: Victor is ruthless and brutal. He will stop at nothing to achieve his goal," I paused and looked Sookie directly in the eyes, trying to show her just how real Victor's threat was.

"What do we do, Eric? Louisiana hasn't even recovered from the last takeover, and here you are, telling me you think Victor is cooking up another one." I could feel her anxiety through the bond. Her beautiful brow was furrowed and her crystal blue eyes were filled with worry. If I could have gotten my hands around Victor's neck at that moment I would have ripped his fucking head off for causing my bonded such distress.

"Dear one, we are all going to have to tap into our inner resources in order to stay ahead of Victor," I cautioned her. "We will need to be on our best game if we are to stop him. My main concern at the moment is your safety. If what you said is correct, about Gavin thinking you are their 'ace in the hole,' then you are definitely part of whatever plan they are scheming." Rehashing the events from earlier in the evening just made me that much more pissed at Victor, and even more determined to find out what the bastard was up to and crush him before he could do any damage.

I lifted Sookie from where she was sitting beside me and placed her on my lap. I put my arms around her, not in a sexual way (there would be time for that later), but to hold her and give her comfort and reassurance. I spoke softly next to her ear. "Lover, you are going to need for your senses to be as sharp as possible. A little extra physical strength could also be beneficial."

I paused here, almost dreading what was coming next. What if she said no? I did not fear her rejection -- I was used to getting what I wanted from humans. But Sookie wasn't just human. She was special...she was already my bonded. Besides, I was duty-bound by King Felipe himself to protect her.

But, I knew Sookie had a mind of her own, and that in itself could present a greater challenge. "To help us work better together," I continued, "and most importantly, to reaffirm our commitment to each other, I would like for us to renew our blood bond." Her head snapped around to look at me. "That is, if you would be agreeable. I realize the first time we bonded you were under duress and it was not pleasant for you. It would not be like that this time, Sookie. I promise."

I could see the emotions run like wildfire across Sookie's face and felt them rip through the bond. "But what will happen if I have more of your blood, Eric? I've had so much already, between you and Bill...I love you, but no offense, I don't want to be a vampire."

Disappointment flashed through me for the briefest of moments. How could I ever convey how important extending her longevity was to me? Vampires are selfish creatures by nature, and I sure as hell was not going to be satisfied with a paltry fifty or sixty years before the clock of her mortality ceased its ticking. But, I am nothing if not persistent – and patient. I would not pursue the subject of turning tonight. If I could get her to agree to renew the bond, I prayed that would carry her at least one step further away from her mortality. We would definitely need to meet with Niall soon to learn more.

"None taken," I smiled and softly kissed her cheek. God, just the nearness of her made me drunk with lust. No creature had ever had this effect on me. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to just..._consume_ her, and I was taken aback by its intensity. With many centuries of practiced self-control, I forced my desires back beneath the surface.

"You will not be made vampire if we bond again," I soothed her. "Our bond will be much stronger, for sure. And, yes, I will admit it would be easier for you to be turned, but it takes much more than that." I could feel her relax a little in my arms, so I continued. "We will be more closely connected. We will be able to feel each other more than ever. Your telepathic skills will sharpen, and your physical strength and appearance will be enhanced." I leered at her and waggled my eyebrows. "And your appetite for sex will increase a hundredfold. It is lucky for you I shall be around to relieve your..._tensions_."

"Yeah, you're such a martyr," she drawled dryly as she playfully punched my shoulder and rolled her eyes.

Sookie's playful mood suddenly vanished and she looked at me with serious eyes. "Okay, Eric...okay. I trust you. I trust the wisdom of your years. That's something I haven't been very good at before. And it's damned near gotten us killed more than once. So I'm going to follow your lead and say let's just do it."

Joy, relief, love, pride...all these feelings and more washed over me with her words of acceptance. I took her face in my hands and kissed her softly. Her lips were full and warm, and the lust I stashed away a few moments ago came back with a vengeance.

I tightened my arms around my bonded and took the kiss deeper. I was full-fang and her tongue danced a seductive rhythm around them. I unzipped her dress and slipped it off her shoulders, exposing the most magnificent breasts I had ever known. _Mine_, I thought to myself as I lowered my head to nuzzle them, sucking one nipple into my mouth while rolling the other one between my thumb and forefinger. My lover rewarded my actions with a moan from her sweet lips.

I stood us both up, capturing her lips once again in a searing kiss as I slipped her dress past her hips, where it pooled on the floor. With one arm behind her knees and the other behind her shoulders, I picked her up and gently laid her on the bed.

While Sookie watched me from the bed, I walked across the room to the dresser and the little box sitting on top of it. I retrieved the velvet-wrapped package inside and returned to lay it on the table beside the bed.

Never taking my eyes from my lover's face, I slowly unbuttoned my shirt and shrugged it off my shoulders and onto the floor. My pants followed, along with my silk boxers. Lust flared through the bond as she lowered her eyes to take in my gracious plenty, which by now was painfully close to eruption. I loved feeling her eyes on me. Sookie allowing herself to be woman enough to admire and appreciate my body was like throwing gasoline on my already burning desire.

I climbed onto the bed and stretched out on top of her, resting my weight on my elbows. "Earlier, I made a silent promise to love you longer later," I admitted to her. "And I intend to keep that promise now."

I could hear Sookie's intake of breath at my words. I buried my face in the side of her neck and inhaled her scent. Her fae sweetness and the lingering traces of our earlier couplings filled my senses to the point of robbing me of coherent thought.

_Mine_, I reminded my self once more. _This adorable creature, this walking display of womanhood perfected, belongs to me_. I silently thanked the gods for my unbelievable good fortune and prayed for the strength to give her the protection she so badly needed.

I nuzzled the sensitive spot behind her ear, then traced a line down her neck with my tongue. As I nipped at the hollow spot between her neck and collarbone, I could feel her squirming beneath me.

"God, Eric, I need you so badly," her panted whisper filled my ears. "I never thought I could want someone this much..."

My lips silenced hers with another soul-stirring kiss. I broke from her lips to trail soft kisses down her neck again, this time going lower, past her collarbone, to pay homage to her breasts. I rolled slightly to the side as I captured a nipple with my mouth, sucking and gently nipping on the hard bud. Sookie moaned and wound her fingers in my hair, pressing me closer to her.

My fingers lightly grazed her side and down her hip to the luscious valley between her legs. Parting her folds, I felt her wetness and knew she was ready for me. But I had promised to love her longer, and no one could say Eric Northman was not a man of his word.

My mouth reluctantly released its hold on her breast and I grazed my fangs against her skin as I moved lower. I shifted my position so that I lay between her knees, which she had so invitingly parted to grant me access. I propped myself on my elbows, placing her legs over my shoulders and my hands under her hips for better access. I buried my face in her center and let her essence overwhelm my senses. My body was aching for release, but after our two intensely abbreviated couplings earlier, her pleasure meant more to me now than my own.

While trailing nips and kisses back and forth between her delectable thighs, I stopped to tease her swollen nub, momentarily flicking it with my tongue before moving past it to her other thigh. My mouth continued its exploration as I slipped two fingers into her wetness. Finding her most sensitive spot, I curled my fingers and rubbed gently while I concentrated on her nub with my tongue. I could feel her muscles tightening and I knew her release was only moments away. "Let it go, lover," I purred. "Just let go and come for me. I promise there will be more..."

No sooner had I whispered the words, her body stiffened briefly and then convulsed as her release overtook her. No coherent dialogue came from her mouth, but the roof-raising half-moan/half-scream that did gave me more pleasure than she would ever know. I continued to lap and suck at her, not wanting to waste even one drop of her intoxicating juices.

While she panted to regain her breath, I moved back over her, slowly slipping into her as I moved upward. I felt her tighten around me as I buried myself as deeply as I could. I looked down into Sookie's eyes, putting all my love into my gaze, and was rewarded with her heart shining back to me. This was where I wanted to be more than any other place in the world. If I were staked at this moment, I would meet my final death knowing that after a thousand years of searching, I was finally complete.

I began to move slowly, pulling out almost completely before plunging back in. Our tempo increased and I could feel myself on the brink of release. I stopped suddenly, eliciting a questioning squeak from my bonded. I slipped my arms around her back and pulled her up, moving myself at the same time so that I was sitting with her straddling my lap, never uncoupling from her as we moved.

Reaching over to the bedside table, I retrieved the ceremonial knife I had used in Rhodes from its velvet cloak. "Now, we drink from each other," I whispered to Sookie. I held the knife next to my neck and locked her eyes with mine. For the first time in a thousand years, my un-dead heart was on my sleeve. I chose my next words carefully. "Sookie, I willingly offer my blood to you, and by offering you my blood I offer you my love, my life, and my heart. For as long as I exist, I shall be only yours."

With that, I sliced through my skin with the knife and allowed my blood to flow. Sookie quickly clamped onto my neck and drew on the wound. Each pull from her lips echoed through my body and reverberated in my hardness that was still inside her. My head fell back as I groaned loudly, struggling to hold back the climax that was fighting so desperately to overcome me.

When the wound closed and she could draw no more, Sookie sat back and faced me questioningly. I knew she had no idea what to expect, but I could not bring myself to tell her I did not know, either. This was uncharted territory for me as well. But, she instinctively followed my lead and captured my eyes with hers as she began to speak.

"Eric, I willingly offer my blood to you. For as long as I exist, you shall have my heart, my soul, and my love. I will forever be only yours." When she finished, I lowered my head and sank my fangs into the soft spot between her neck and shoulder. Her sweet, hot blood erupted into my mouth and I drew on the wound as if there would be no tomorrow. I could hear her heart beating in my ears and I began to move my hips to its rhythm.

I drank as much from the fountain of her sweetness as I dared without weakening her, all the while moving faster and faster inside her, bringing us both to the release we so badly needed. She tightened around me, and I could feel her muscles contracting with her release as my own release spilled inside her.

We both sat there panting through the aftershocks, my arms tightened around her as if to prevent her from being torn away from me. We sat silently, letting our blood course through each other's veins, mesmerized by the strengthening of the bond. The bond that was no longer just blood, but a bond made of love, heart, body, and soul. I silently thanked the gods again for my extreme fortune. I knew now that we were where we were supposed to be.

_Game. Set. Match._

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

A/N -- Yeah, I know, this is a seriously short chapter. But, I felt it was better to leave the break where it was, plus I wanted to get another update out there to you. Work on this story has been slowed by a couple of other writing projects, an editing project, and bronchitis. So here I am, throwing crumbs to you in hopes of keeping your interest!

I do appreciate all your reviews and PMs. They continue to inspire me when I get bogged down by writer's block and too many irons in the fire!

The characters in the story (except the ones you don't recognize from the books) are all the property of Ms. Harris. She has given us some really fun playtoys and I'm having a blast with them!

CHAPTER 16

I moved off of Eric and stretched out on the bed. He lounged beside me and began tracing lazy circles on my stomach with his fingers. We lay together for several minutes, neither of us speaking. "So, what's gonna happen now?" I finally broke the silence. I wasn't really sure I wanted to know, but I was pretty sure we had already passed the point of no return.

"We should be able to sense some real changes in the next few hours," Eric replied, his voice strangely flat and emotionless.

_Oh, shit._ I wasn't prepared for that sort of answer. Surely he wasn't regretting our rebonding already? I didn't want to, but I had to ask. "Eric, you're not having second thoughts..."

"No, lover, no." Eric cut me off before I could finish my sentence. I couldn't see his face, but I felt his smile against the top of my head. He put his arm around me and pulled me in close to his side. "On the contrary, I could not be more pleased. I apologize if I appeared otherwise. I was maybe a little preoccupied by thinking about how to deal with Victor."

"What _are_ we going to do about him?" I hoped Eric could come up with some sort of a plan. I mean, that was what he was good at, right? Planning, scheming – he'd only been doing it for how many hundreds of years?

Eric appeared to think for a minute before he answered. "I suppose the first order of business is to contact Felipe. I am not sure exactly what to tell him. We do not have much hard evidence against Victor, mainly just theories and suppositions. But, he still needs to be made aware of what little we do know. What I am not sure of is how we are going to tell him without giving away Bubba's little secret."

_Bubba._ He was a key player in our little Agatha-Christie-Comes-To-Shreveport mystery and I didn't know how we were going to be able to keep him out of the spotlight.

_'I suppose I will have to contact Compton and see what leads he can uncover...fucking sap...I hate having to involve him...hate the thought of him even being around Sookie...always mooning over her for fuck sakes, like some goddamn schoolboy after the prom queen...but he doesn't seem to mind keeping an eye on her while she is at home, and he does do wonders with that database of his...'_

"Eric, I don't think you need to worry about Bill after what I said to him tonight," I reassured him. "I think I handled him pretty well."

Eric was on his knees in the middle of the bed so fast that my eyes didn't even register his movement. His eyes were wide and I would have sworn he was panting.

"What?" I asked, looking up at him. Didn't he think I could handle Bill on my own?

"_What?_ What do you mean, _what?_ What was that?"

"What was what?" I was truly puzzled.

"Sookie, you said I did not need to worry about Bill."

_Was Eric making a mountain out of a molehill, or what?_ "Yeah, so? You don't need to worry about him. He and I had a little come-to-Jesus meeting tonight. I'm hoping that takes care of things where he's concerned."

"I do not care about Jesus, Bill, or anyone else at the moment," Eric snorted. "What I do care about is the fact that you replied to me when I had not even spoken to you."

_Ho-lee crap!_ I could feel the blood drain from my face and the room began to spin. I closed my eyes and tried to regain my bearings. _'This isn't happening...this isn't happening...this isn't happening...' _I silently repeated to myself. I lowered my shields and purposefully reached out for Eric's thoughts, hoping I would find nothing but the blissful void that had attracted me to vampires in the first place.

_'How did this happen...could the strengthening of our bond be responsible...maybe it was just a one-time fluke...oh, Jesus fuck, how will I protect her if word of this gets out...'_

"No, Eric, it apparently is not a fluke," I said grimly.

My worst fears had just been confirmed. I had picked up a couple of fleeting snippets of vampire thoughts in the past, but Eric was broadcasting to me now more clearly than if he were shouting at me through a bullhorn. Fear and dread wound their icy fingers around my racing heart as I thought of what could happen if it was found out that I could now read vampire thoughts. Vampires were the most secretive creatures I had ever met. I seriously doubted Felipe would stand for having a vampire-thought-reading telepath in his kingdom, especially one of the human persuasion. He would probably even rescind his order for my protection, and then _I_ would be dead for real.

I was afraid...very afraid.

Terror turned my voice into a croaking whisper. "My god, Eric. Do you know what this means?"

Eric's face was clouded for a moment as he appeared to consider this latest development of our rebonding. Then the cloud lifted and his face was filled with a look that was both revelation and satisfaction.

"Yes, lover, I know exactly what this means." He smiled his evil little smile at me. "This means we now have a decided advantage over Victor."

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N** -- _Holy crap, she actually posted a chapter!_ That's right, dear readers. After so many of you inquired as to the status of my story, I took it out of the closet, dusted it off, and here we are! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, PM'd me, and added me to your favorites lists. You are the best audience ever. I promise to update as often as I can (summer is a very busy time for me) but I do promise it won't be another three months! The next chapter is already in the works, as we speak.

All the characters in this story (except for the ones you don't recognize from the SVM series) belong to Ms. Harris. Do you reckon she thought maybe I had given them back to her?!

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CHAPTER 17

"...Yes, Your Majesty...Yes, that is correct...No, I do not have all the details yet...Certainly...Of course, you shall be the first to know...Thank you, yes, I will be in touch...Goodnight, Your Majesty."

Eric flipped his phone closed and laid his head against the back of the soft leather sofa. We had moved from the bedroom to the great room when Pam dropped off my things, and Eric decided to contact Felipe. We were sitting on one of two leather sofas that flanked the massive stone fireplace. Eric was parked on the end of the sofa, clad only in his silk boxers, his endless legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. I was laying with my head in his lap, looking up at him and watching his face as he spoke to Felipe.

"Well, what did he say?"

"He is concerned, of course, but without being able to share the information Bubba gives us, our case against Victor is extremely weak. If only there was some way to reveal Bubba's 'gifts' to Felipe without endangering his existence..."

I quickly sat up and put a halting hand on Eric's arm. "Eric, no. Oh God, no. We promised Bubba we wouldn't say anything to anyone. He didn't even want me to tell _you_ about him, let alone reveal him to Felipe. We'll just have to figure out some other way."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, both of us pondering what our next step should be. Suddenly, I was struck with an idea, but I cringed at the thought of sharing it with Eric.

"What is it, lover?"

Too late. He was on to me. Damn blood bond. Now I _had _to tell him, and I just knew it would not be a pretty sight. "Well, I had an idea about how to feed information to Felipe without having to tell him it came from Bubba."

"And what would that be, dear one?" His smooth voice was filled with either intrigue or amusement, I just couldn't tell which. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt as I forged ahead.

"Why don't I make an appearance at the Bonne Nuit tomorrow?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I put my shields up to block any Neanderthal-like thoughts Eric might have about my game plan. Knowing how alpha male he could be, I figured just his words would be enough. To his credit, he just arched an eyebrow and cast me a dubious smirk, so I continued.

"Our cover story could be that since I'm thinking of moving to Shreveport..." his eyes smiled and I could feel him send love and triumph through the bond. "...that since I'm _thinking_ of moving to Shreveport" I repeated, "I need to look for a job, and so I'll apply for work at the hotel restaurant. That will give me an excuse to be at the hotel in the morning, and anything Bubba hears, we can tell Felipe I overheard it. I'll be in and out in ten minutes, I promise."

I took a deep breath and fought the urge to lower my shields. I wanted to see if Eric's words would mirror his thoughts, but decided that would be taking unfair advantage of my new abilities. So, I just waited for him to speak.

And he did. It just wasn't what I wanted to hear.

"While I applaud your ingenuity and forward thinking," he began, "your plan is flawed on two counts. One, you cannot seem to go anywhere on your own without courting peril and drawing undue attention to yourself. Two, although you insist on working for the shifter while living in Bon Temps, if you are living with me here in Shreveport, as my bonded you most certainly will not engage in menial labor in my own back yard."

_Geez, Eric. Caveman much?_ "Don't be such a snob, Eric. It's the best I could do on short notice. And I don't see you tossing out any pearls of wisdom," I snorted. "Besides, what can possibly happen to me in broad daylight?"

Eric just arched an eyebrow at me. _Okay, other than getting shot, or locked in a trunk with a hungry vampire and being raped and nearly drained, or..._

After much discussion, which included tearful begging and pleading on my part and mulish obstinance on Eric's, we finally agreed I would make an appearance at the restaurant in the Bonne Nuit. The one concession I allowed was that I would not shop at Wal-Mart for an outfit for my "interview."

With a game plan formulated and dawn rapidly approaching, we decided to call it a night. I had always wondered where Eric spent his days; apparently I was about to find out.

Once again, Eric led me through the foyer to the master suite where we immediately turned to our right and entered the bathroom. We walked past double sinks on the right and a massive glass-enclosed shower and jetted tub big enough for six people on the left. I made a mental note to enjoy both amenities (with Eric, of course) as soon as possible. We passed a water closet to our right as I followed Eric into a huge walk-in closet.

I was immediately overwhelmed by a feeling of intimacy at being surrounded by so many of Eric's personal belongings. Knowing I was surrounded by things he wore next to his bare skin suddenly seemed so intimate to me, and was such an odd turn-on that I couldn't help but tingle with the lust that suddenly flared in my brain (and another vicinity more to the south.)

Eric immediately sensed my arousal. A wicked chuckle from his lips, rolling lust from the bond, and racy thoughts from his brain all descended upon me at once. However, he said nothing as he grasped the side of a floor-to-ceiling shelving unit along the back wall and it swung open, revealing a hidden door with some sort of sensor pad on the wall beside it. Eric placed the pad of his thumb against the small sensor; the safety locks clicked open and he turned the knob on the door.

"What was that all about?" I asked curiously, still trying to calm my overwrought libido. I made a mental note to never again underestimate the power of vampire blood.

"A fingerprint scanner," Eric replied. "Instead of using access codes, it is trained to recognize fingerprints to trigger the locking mechanism on the door. Much more secure than having an access code floating around for someone to steal. The only prints it recognizes now are mine and Pam's. Now we need to add yours." The trust Eric was placing in me by allowing me access to his daytime chamber did not escape me.

I walked to where he was standing by the door. "Here, give me your thumb," he said as he held out his hand for mine. He flipped open the cover on the scanner control module and scanned his thumbprint again to allow the scanner to learn a new print. Eric gently took my thumb and placed it on the reader, holding it in place long enough for my print to be read and registered. Two long beeps signaled the process was done. He kissed the thumb that had just been scanned, keeping my hand in his as he led me downstairs to his light-tight bedroom.

If I had expected opulence, I would have been sorely disappointed. Comfort was the key element of Eric's sleeping chamber. A single bedside lamp with a low-watt bulb gave just enough soft glow for me to make out the details of the room. The furnishings were simple but tasteful, with a small bedside table that held the lamp, an inordinately large bed draped in rich-looking coverings, and a small refrigerator in the corner topped with a small microwave. _Emergency sustenance, no doubt._

Still holding my hand, Eric led me to the bed and began to make quick work of the buttons on the dress shirt he had loaned me to put on after our rebonding. It pooled to the floor as he picked me up and laid me in the middle of the softest sheets I had ever felt. _Egyptian cotton – at least one thousand thread count, I guessed._

Eric's boxers joined the shirt on the floor and he quickly climbed into bed with me. He pulled me close to his side so I could rest my head in the crook of his shoulder. Huge waves of contentment washed over me through the bond. It was taxing, but I kept my shields up so I wouldn't hear Eric's thoughts. I was a little saddened that the new, stronger bond had taken away the one thing that had made vampires so intriguing to me.

"No one other than Pam has seen this room," Eric confided, snapping me out of my thoughts. "And no one besides me has ever slept in this bed."

"I appreciate the fact that you trust me enough to share this with me," I whispered. "You do know that I will guard your secrets with my life, if necessary." It sounded corny, but it was the gospel truth.

"I know that, lover," Eric replied as he placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head. Rolling me onto my side, he slung his arm over my waist and spooned behind me, his cool, muscular chest nestled against my back. His voice was heavy with weariness as he whispered in my ear, and I knew dawn was calling him to sleep. "Rest now – you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

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The sun was already high in the Saturday sky by the time I stumbled out of Eric's house and made my way to the Mall St. Vincent to search for an "interview" ensemble. Since my car was still in Bon Temps, I was forced to drive one of Eric's cars on my little mission. I had immediately bypassed the Corvette; no way was I going to risk injury to his baby. Instead, I settled for his Mercedes SUV that was parked in the garage next to the Vette. It was bigger than my car and I wasn't exactly comfortable driving it, but between it and the Vette, the Mercedes was the lesser of two evils.

I found a parking spot near the mall's main entrance and parked on the end of the row, hugging the curb to put as much space between me and the vehicle next to me as possible. I didn't want someone slamming their car door into Eric's. _No dings while on my watch._

Armed with Eric's AmEx Black Card, I walked past store after store, silently cursing him for not letting me just pick up something at Wal-Mart, for crying out loud. After window shopping until I was dizzy, I made my way to Dillards and found the ladies' department. I located a simple navy A-line skirt and a crisp white blouse that had long sleeves and buttoned up the front. A quick visit to the shoe department scored me a pair of comfortable navy pumps with low heels.

I made my purchases and returned to the dressing room to change into my new outfit. After tucking my other clothes into the shopping bag, I took one last look in the mirror and decided I was presentable enough to head to the hotel.

The Bonne Nuit wasn't hard to find, just a short jaunt down I-49 from the mall. I parked as close to the front door as I could get, in case I needed to make a hasty escape. I was never a Boy Scout, but their motto sounded pretty logical to me when it came to dealing with "vamp shit," as I liked to refer to it.

I walked through the front doors into the hotel lobby and was immediately overwhelmed by the opulence. The walls were hung with rich gold watered silk, trimmed at the top with intricately carved crown molding finished in gold patina. Heavy midnight blue brocade draperies woven with tiny gold threads framed the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. The floors were deep blue granite, inlaid with granite in varying shades of whites and yellows to form a massive moon in the center of the floor, surrounded by hundreds of stars. The room was dotted with Louis XIV style occasional tables, chairs gilded with gold and upholstered in rich midnight blue silk, and parlor palms in ornately gilded pots. The whole scene reminded me of pictures from my history books of seventeenth century France._ Man -- those vampires sure know how to put on the glitz._

On the far left wall I noticed the entrance to the hotel restaurant, _Le Cuisine Magnifique_. I thought the name sounded a little cheesy, but with vampires you could expect just about anything. I strolled across the lobby to the café door and walked inside. The opulence of the lobby spilled over into the restaurant, the only difference being the midnight blue had been replaced with a deep crimson. Gold gilding and ornate woodwork accentuated the lavishness. I shuddered to think what a simple cup of coffee must cost. I had sorely misjudged the grandeur of the hotel, and suddenly felt way underdressed.

A fifty-something lady with warm brown eyes wearing an expensive but simple navy suit greeted me at the door. I pasted on my best Crazy Sookie smile and walked toward her. "Hey there!" I chirped. "My name is Sookie Stackhouse. I'm just moving here to Shreveport from over around Bon Temps, and I was wondering if you might be needing any help?"

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Stackhouse," she replied. "I'm Myrna, and I'm the daytime manager here. We really don't have anything right now, but if you want to leave your phone number, I'll give you a call if something comes up."

"I appreciate that very much," I stated as I wrote down my name and phone number for her. I turned to leave, having made my token appearance, but the sight of a familiar head took my breath and froze me in my tracks.

Gavin McPherson was sitting by himself at a table off to the side, holding a cell phone to his ear. I was out of his line of sight so I edged a little closer, hiding myself behind a large parlor palm, to try and hear his conversation.

"…yeah, I think we got something better to work with now, Justin." _There was that Justin again – who was this guy?_ "Yeah, we found out the blonde bitch is blood bonded to the Viking." _Bitch? Was he calling _me_ a bitch?_ "Apparently they're an item. If we can snatch her up, that should give us the leverage we need with Northman to get him to help us."

I was so distracted, my shields slipped and before I knew what was happening, snippets of his twisted thoughts invaded my brain: _Viking is fucking scary…hope Victor knows what he's doing…bitch is so fucking hot…not sure that much money is worth dying over… _

_Holy shit._ I wanted to stay and listen to more of what Gavin had to say, but I needed to get the hell out of Dodge before he could spot me. I turned and walked back to the car as quickly as I could without drawing undue attention to myself. My hands were shaking so badly I fumbled the car keys, nearly dropping them twice before I was able to press the button on the remote and unlock the door. I flopped into the driver's seat and sped away, anxious to return to the safety of Eric's home and arms.

TBC

_A/N -- I know, not a lot of action in this one. *ducks any flying pitchforks* It's more like a 'building block' chapter. Now, how about feed my addiction and slide some review crack my way, huh? So what to you think Victor and his minions have up their sleeves, hmmm?_


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thanks to all of you for your patience while I work on this story. I get many reviews and PMs asking when I'm going to update again, and why I don't update more often than I do. I can't tell you how warm and fuzzy that makes me feel, knowing so many of you are anxious for new posts. It's very humbling, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Summertime is very busy for me, but I do write as often as I can. (Much to the chagrin of my husband!) Thanks also to those of you who may not review, but mark me and DFR as favorite author/story and/or put me on your author/story alerts. I am heartened by each and every e-mail I get with that news!

Shout out to my wonderful beta, Joynessdotcom, for all her hard work -- thanks for your polish, guidance, and patience! And, once again, I bow to ebonyeyez1 -- my cheerleader, my shoulder to cry on, my critic, and my hand-holder. Love you, gurl!

Enough rambling -- let's get on with it. I gave you a little slice of lemon for being so patient with me! *giggles & runs away*

CHAPTER 18

I allowed myself to relax a little once I was back in the safety of Eric's home. I had seen most of the main floor last night, so I wandered around a little and walked upstairs to check out the second floor. The stairs ended at a spacious loft with a vaulted ceiling that overlooked the great room. Set up as a reading room, the loft was furnished with two built-in bookcases, two pairs of comfortable-looking armchairs with matching ottomans upholstered in rich, buttery leather, and a small table with a reading lamp between each pair of chairs.

The loft was flanked on both sides by comfortably appointed bedrooms, with a tidy bathroom off to one side. The bonus area over the garage had been converted into a media room with a large projection screen at the far end, a state-of-the-art home theatre system, and several comfortable-looking leather recliners. Built-in shelves along one wall held what I guessed to be hundreds of DVDs.

Since I had a few hours before Eric would rise, I thought I would kick back and enjoy a movie. After scanning several titles, I chose _My Fair Lady_. It was a longtime favorite of mine, and I was a little surprised to find it in Eric's collection. A long look at the theatre system showed it to be less intimidating than it originally appeared to be, and soon I was able to figure out how to insert the DVD and get it to play. I settled into the closest recliner and kicked back as the movie started.

I must have fallen asleep sometime during the movie, because the next thing I was aware of was a cool nose nuzzling my neck and a smooth voice purring in my ear. "Wake up, sleeping beauty."

"Mmmm, Eric." I woke up enough to realize he was stretched out in the recliner with me, spooning me from behind.

"I woke up and missed you lover," he murmured as his tongue traced the shell of my ear. He evidently missed me a lot, judging by the way his more-than-gracious plenty was trying to introduce itself to my backside. "I enjoy waking with you beside me. We should sleep naked every day so I can feast my eyes on your beautiful breasts and luscious body as soon as I open them."

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips. "You forget that sleeping with you is like cuddling up to a side of beef," I snorted. "As much as I would love to sleep naked with you, I have to wear nightclothes or I would freeze."

"Yes, but I know of many ways to warm you up," Eric countered as his tongue continued its assault on my ear and slowly worked its way down my neck. A large hand slid under my blouse and found its way to my right breast, slowly taunting the nipple through the thin lace of my bra until it became a hard peak.

The electricity that was flowing between our bodies and through the bond made it nearly impossible for me to speak. I ground my hips backwards into his arousal and tried to continue our banter. "Is that so?" I managed to squeak. "Maybe you could, ah, show me one or two of them."

"It would be my pleasure," Eric purred as his hand moved from my breast to my abdomen, where he used his large palm to further press me back into his hardness. A low rumble escaped from his chest as he continued to grind against me, his lips raining kisses of liquid fire down my neck and shoulder.

"Mmmm, I love skirts," his cool lips mouthed against my hot skin as his hand moved lower and found its way under my skirt. Long fingers ghosted their way up my leg, sliding the hem of my skirt with them as they traced a line from the inside of my knee to the top of my thigh. Slowly, teasingly, he slipped his fingers inside the lace of my panties and lightly grazed them against my folds. I couldn't suppress the moan that escaped my lips.

"So wet for me," my Viking cooed softly. "I love that I do that to you." Once again he gyrated his erection into my hips. The friction it created was maddening. "Do you feel what you do to me? Can you feel how hard I am for you?" he asked as he slipped two long, cool fingers into my center while his thumb lightly stroked my swollen nub.

"Ungh…Eric…need…to feel you…_please._" I was begging and I didn't care. A few whispers and a couple of strategic brushes with his fingers, and I was oblivious to everything but his touch and what it did to me.

"And so you shall, my lover," he promised as I felt him slip his fingers under the waistband of my lacy panties and rip them away.

I reached an arm behind me and felt Eric was clad only in silk boxers. I slid my hand between us and stroked his hardness through the slippery fabric. The growl that came from his throat was like an adrenaline rush to me. I amazed even myself that my small hand could have such a profound effect on this godlike creature lying behind me. I tugged at the waistband of his boxers, in a rush to free his exquisite hardness. With a little help from Eric, we managed to free him from the constraints of the offending garment.

Eric gently grasped my right knee and pulled my leg backward and up over his hip. I gasped at the sensation of the cool air hitting my heated center, followed by the tip of his swollen arousal pressing at my entrance. Once I was opened for him, he smoothly slid into me from behind. His clever fingers teased my clit as he slowly rocked his hips and began to smoothly slide in and out. I reached my free hand behind him and grasped the nearer half of his glorious ass, groping and squeezing, urging him to move faster. He gradually increased the tempo…thrusting, driving…until he brought us both to the brink of our release, and then…

Spasms racked my body as Eric's fangs piercing my shoulder triggered my orgasm. His draws on the wounds kept time with the spasms of his release deep inside me. My shields dropped from the intensity of the moment and I caught fleeting glimpses of Eric's thoughts.

'_Oh, fuck…'_

'_Mine…"_

'…_could stay buried inside her forever…'_

'_Mine…'_

'…_love this woman…'_

'_Mine…'_

'…_kill Victor Madden if he harms one hair on her beautiful head…'_

'_Mine...'_

I quickly gathered my wits and put my shields up so I wouldn't hear any more of Eric's thoughts. If I heard 'mine' one more time, there was no telling what I might do. I loved the fact that Eric loved me and wanted to protect me, but it was seriously starting to creep me out to know what he was thinking when we were together. That was the main reason I never dated much before vampires in the first place. I made a mental note to ask Niall if there might be some way to enhance my skills so I could keep my shields up around Eric without being so psychologically and emotionally taxed by the effort. I was sure that being able to read Eric's thoughts could have its strategic advantages where dealing with vampire politics was concerned; I just didn't want it to interfering with our personal relationship.

We cuddled in the chair as our aftershocks subsided, both of us too sated to have any ambition to move. I was content to just lay there next to Eric, although I had to laugh to myself at how comical we must look, me with my blouse undone and skirt hiked up around my waist, and him completely naked. I thought for a little while about how great it would be if we could do this every night, then it dawned on me that we _could_ do this every night, if I would just let go of my stubborn streak and move in with Eric like he asked me to.

After a while, Eric removed himself from the recliner and extended his hand to help me out as well. "Come, my lover. I must make an appearance at Fangtasia tonight and I would like for you to accompany me. I expect a report from Bubba tonight on his findings at the Bonne Nuit."

I let Eric pull me up and out of the recliner, and he continued to hold my hand as he led me downstairs to the master bath. After turning on the water in the cavernous shower, Eric turned to me and quickly helped me remove my clothes. His silk boxers were gone in a flash just before he pulled me into the warm spray.

We showered leisurely, each of us taking special care to ensure every square inch of the other one was properly and completely cleaned. The combination of warm water and Eric's ministrations relaxed me, both physically and emotionally. By the time our shower was over, my apprehensions over the day's events were almost gone, and I was ready to face the evening.

After we dried off, I followed Eric into his closet so we could dress. Eric had cleared out a space for me in a built-in chest of drawers to accommodate the clothes Pam had fetched from my house, and I pulled out a matching bra and panty set in deep crimson. It was satin and trimmed with lace, and complimented my blonde hair and suntanned skin. As I fastened the bra behind me, I glanced at Eric and noticed him smirking and showing a little fang as he watched me appreciatively. I gave him a little smirk in return, but inside I was turning cartwheels. I didn't know if it was due to the recent infusion of vampire blood or what, but knowing that someone as powerful, as gorgeous, and as sought-after as Eric could be looking at _me_ in that way… could really, truly _want_ me…was so _empowering_…that I was prompted to do some unabashed ogling of my own.

Eric was just stepping into a pair of navy blue silk boxers, and I took the opportunity to give him the once-over, as he had done me. His hair was still wet and tousled from our shower; his blue eyes were bright as they watched me watch him. I let my eyes roam downward from his broad shoulders, over the blond down that covered his sculpted pecs and chiseled abs, where it gradually turned to soft golden curls as it disappeared beneath the waistband of his boxers. My perusal continued down past the blue silk, and the corners of my mouth curled when I thought of what was hiding behind them. I let my gaze trail back up to his eyes, blazing orbs of blue, one of which was now crowned with an arched brow.

"What?" I asked innocently. "Do you have the market cornered on ogling or something?"

"Absolutely not," Eric replied matter-of-factly. "My body is always available for your viewing pleasure."

"MmmHmm," I snorted back at him.

"And other pleasures, too, I might add."

And then he did that crazy eyebrow waggling thing, and I couldn't help but laugh.

Eric's face turned serious. "What news do you have to report from your visit to the Bonne Nuit today, my lover?" he asked.

"Well, I did sort of have a close encounter," I admitted, "but everything's OK. Why don't we hear what Bubba has to say and we can go over everything at one time?"

Eric ducked his chin and gave me a dubious glare, but thankfully said nothing. I was glad he decided to humor me, for once.

"C'mon," I breezed. "We need to get a move-on if we want to get to Fangtasia before it closes."

We finished dressing, neither one of us saying a word. Oh, sure, there was ogling (on both our parts) and Eric watched me fastidiously in the mirror as I applied a little makeup. When we were ready, we walked to the garage and climbed into Eric's Corvette.

Eric drove swiftly but surely through the streets of Shreveport, dodging the late-evening traffic like a video racing game before finally pulling into his usual space next to Fangtasia's rear entrance. Pam met us at the back door, having already sensed Eric's arrival. That still creeped me out a little – I guess I'll never understand the bond between a vampire and their maker. It had become a full-time job for me just to understand how our blood bond worked.

We walked into Eric's office, where he promptly sat down in the huge leather chair behind his desk. He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me into his lap, just like that was where I belonged. _Who was I to argue with him?_ Pam took a seat on the black leather sofa facing the desk.

"It's about damn time," I heard Pam say as she looked smugly at me perched in Eric's lap, and my eyes snapped to hers.

"Pam!" I yelped in disbelief. I was awed that she would make such a snarky comment in front of Eric, knowing the scolding that would surely follow. True, she loved rankling us at Eric's expense, but she was usually a little more subtle about it.

"What?" Pam asked, looking truly astonished.

I tensed up, waiting for Eric to chastise Pam, but he said nothing. I was just thinking how odd it was of him to let her little jab slide, when I realized Pam had said nothing at all.

I had heard her thoughts, too.

_Shit, shit, and double shit._

My worst fears had just been confirmed. Not only could I hear Eric's thoughts, apparently I was apparently able to hear _all_ vampire thoughts.

"What is it, Sookie?" Pam queried. "You look as if you just saw a ghost."

I was so confused, I didn't know whether to shit or go sailing. Pam was Eric's child, but that still didn't erase all the apprehension and fear I felt from having another vampire besides Eric know I could read vampire thoughts. Eric must have sensed my inner turmoil through the bond, because he laid a large, cool hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

"It is okay, lover," he said calmly as he focused a baleful stare on Pam. "Pam will keep our little secret."

Pam's right eyebrow twitched and I could tell she was bursting at the seams to learn my…_our_…little secret.

"Sookie and I renewed our blood bond last night," Eric explained. A wicked gleam burned in Pam's eyes. "The renewal resulted in the…uh…_enhancement_, shall we say…of Sookie's _gift_."

Pam clapped her hands and actually jumped up and down a little in her seat. Her actions were a little unnerving, since she was vampire, and all. "Oh, this is priceless," she exclaimed. _She did not just show fang. Gah!_

"Pamela, enough," Eric barked, and that seemed to calm Pam down. At least on the outside. But I could still see the glint in her eyes. "This information does not…I repeat, _does not_…leave this room. Sookie is in enough danger as it is."

I closed my eyes and shuddered back into Eric's chest. I wished with all my might for the "good old days" when vampires were blissfully silent to me. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I was smart enough to know that being a vampire-reading telepath meant I was treacherously close to being a dead telepath, if word of it ever got out.

My pity party was suddenly interrupted by a crackling in the air surrounding us. Eric growled from deep in his chest and jumped to his feet, nearly dumping me onto the floor in the process. Both vampires' nostrils flared and I saw their pupils dilate almost immediately. That could mean only one thing – _fairy_.

"You vampires stay back," Claudine, my true fairy godmother, half-joked as she popped in near the office door. She held her hand out in a "keep away" stance and looked more than a little nervous at being sandwiched between two vampires in the confines of Eric's office.

"Claudine!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Niall sent me. He said you may need some help dealing with your…ah…_ability_."

"What about it?" Eric growled, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice. I looked across to Pam, who had risen from the couch and was slowly inching her way closer to Claudine.

I laid my palm against Eric's chest, as if that could prevent him from jumping Claudine if he really wanted to. "It's okay, Eric," I reassured him. "I can handle this."

I grabbed Claudine by the arm and hauled her out of the office and toward the back door. "Come on, Claudine. Let's you and me talk outside."

_TBC_

A/N: Reviews are like crack for authors. How about clicking on that little green button and feed my addiction? Hmmmm?! Please...pretty please!!


	19. Chapter 19

**_When we last left our friends..._**

_"Claudine!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"_

_ "Niall sent me. He said you may need some help dealing with your…ah…ability."_

_ "What about it?" Eric growled, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice. I looked across to Pam, who had risen from the couch and was slowly inching her way closer to Claudine._

_ I laid my palm against Eric's chest, as if that could prevent him from jumping Claudine if he really wanted to. "It's okay, Eric," I reassured him. "I can handle this."_

_ I grabbed Claudine by the arm and hauled her out of the office and toward the back door. "Come on, Claudine. Let's you and me talk outside."_

CHAPTER 19

I stepped out of the back door, Claudine in tow. The warm night air enveloped me and I took several deep breaths to calm myself. I was plenty upset over having read Pam's thoughts, and to have Claudine suddenly pop in between me and a couple of vampires nearly unraveled me completely. Once my nerves steadied a little, I turned on Claudine.

"Do you have a death wish, or are you just plain crazy?" I demanded.

Claudine flashed me her trademark brilliant smile. The fact that she was nearly half a foot taller than me, plus she had saved my hide on a number of occasions, did make my scolding seem a little silly.

"Okay, okay," I conceded. "I know you're not crazy. But you gotta admit, your sense of timing really sucks. What's so all-fire important that you had to pop into a vampire bar?"

"_You_ are," Claudine quipped as she trailed a long, manicured finger down my cheek. "Niall sent me."

"Yes, you said that already. Something about dealing with my _ability_," I snorted, making air quotes with my fingers.

Claudine laughed. "That's right. Niall sent me with a little something to help you out with that." She then snapped her crimson-tipped fingers and a tall glass filled with a frothy pink liquid appeared in her hand.

"What the hell?" I blurted.

"This," Claudine said as she held out the glass to me, "is a little something to help you control your _gift_, where vampires are concerned."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Drink this, and you will be more-or-less blocked from hearing vampire thoughts," Claudine stated confidently, if not a little proudly.

"Really?" I replied drolly. "And just how does that work?" I was more than an avid believer in the old adage that if something was too good to be true, it probably was.

"Fairy Magic – what else?" Claudine beamed her electric smile at me. "It's a potion that Niall concocted. Your shields against vampire thoughts will always be in place -- automatically."

"So I won't be able to hear vampire thoughts anymore?" I was still skeptical, but I had to admit that the idea of vampires being blissfully silent again sounded pretty wonderful.

"Nope," Claudine replied, grandly popping the P. She leaned close and whispered next to my ear, "That is, unless you want to." And she gave me a conspiratorial wink. _What the hell was that supposed to mean?_

I frowned at her, so she elaborated. "You will no longer be able to hear vampire thoughts, unless you consciously lower your shields to them. Niall thought things might be easier for you if you had the choice of whether or not to hear them."

I thought about it for a minute, and decided I trusted Claudine enough that if she said it would work, then it must be true. "Okay," I sighed as I threw in the mental towel and held out my hand for the drink. The glass was cool and frosty, and I held it up to my nose for a small sniff. It smelled a little sweet and fruity, so I put the glass to my lips and took a tentative sip. It was smooth and creamy and tasted like strawberries. _Not so bad._

"I hope this stuff works," I said warily as I raised the glass and swallowed Niall's concoction.

"You need to drink all of it," Claudine instructed, and I didn't stop until it was all gone. I handed the empty glass back to Claudine, and with a snap of her fingers it was gone.

"Is that it?" I asked. It almost seemed too simple. I didn't feel any different, but my great-grandfather's potion hadn't been put to the test yet, either.

"That's it," Claudine replied.

A thought suddenly occurred to me. "So, how long does this stuff work, anyway?"

"Niall's not really sure," Claudine admitted, a sheepish little grin on her face. "We're sailing in uncharted waters here. But he did say he could always make more when this batch wears off."

Swell. I was now officially the guinea pig for a Fairy Prince concocting an anti-vampire-thought potion. Maybe Victor Madden was the least of my worries after all.

"Well, my work here is done for now," Claudine said she stepped forward to hug me. I put my arms out in front of me to halt her progress and moved back quickly before she could make contact; no way was I going to hug a fairy and then go back into a bar full of vampires. No way was I going to make _that_ mistake a second time.

A little grin crossed Claudine's face when she realized what I was doing. "Yes, that is probably best," she agreed and stepped back. "I'll be seeing you later." She blew a kiss at me, and with a little pop, she was gone.

I stood outside alone for just a few more minutes, mainly to let the night air blow around me and remove any lingering trace of fairy scent that may be on my clothes. I was also giving my great-grandfather's potion a little extra time to work, too. While the ability to read vampire thoughts did have its strategic advantages, it was already beginning to frazzle me where my relationship with Eric was concerned. I so did not want ours to be a replay of the relationships I had had with human guys.

After feeling I was sufficiently "descentsitized," I walked back inside to Eric's office. Pam must have gone out front to the bar because I found Eric behind his desk, alone. He pushed away from the desk and rolled his chair back, creating space for me to join him behind the desk. I settled myself against the desk, facing him, my knees between his. His nostrils flared a little, making me wish I had stayed outside for just a couple minutes longer.

Eric leaned in close to me and inhaled deeply. "You smell…delicious," he murmured into the front of my shirt.

I lightly grabbed his ears and pulled his head back. "Yeah, whatever," I chuckled. "You just keep yourself in check, buster. I may not mind being the main course, but I sure as heck don't want to be the whole buffet!"

Vampires are not easily daunted, and Eric was no exception. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rubbed his face around on the front of my shirt, purring in the back of his throat…_purring?._..and with his golden mane spilling around his shoulders, he reminded me exactly of a lion. I leaned into Eric and fisted my hands in his silky locks, drawing his head closer to me as his mouth began to nuzzle my breasts through the fabric of my shirt. The low moan had barely escaped my mouth when it was cut short by three sharp raps on the office door just before it burst open.

"Master, you have a visitor," Pam nearly bellowed as she strode through the door, Bubba close on her heels. She stopped short when her gaze landed on Eric and me behind the massive desk. "I'm sorry – are we interrupting something?" The look on her face said she knew exactly what she was interrupting, and she wasn't trying too hard to hide the fact that she wasn't sorry in the least. Bubba's face held a horrified look, like he had just walked in on his grandmother, naked in the bath.

Eric growled from deep in his throat before pushing away from me. The look on his face said the fact that she was his child was only thing keeping Pam's head attached to her shoulders. "Pamela, sit down and shut up," he barked.

She was at least smart enough to look contrite.

My face felt hot enough to broil steak. I wanted nothing more than to crawl under Eric's desk and never come out. It was one thing for Pam to walk in on Eric and me in compromising situations, but Bubba seeing us together that way was positively mortifying. I remembered him tumbling through the window that night in Jackson, interrupting Eric and me just before…

_Oh, hell!_ Enough with the trip down memory lane – that road was too rocky for my comfort. Keeping my head down – no way could I look Bubba in the face right now – I pushed off of the edge of the desk to go sit on the couch. For the second time tonight, Eric pulled me down into his lap. I still wasn't going to argue with him.

Pam walked to the black leather couch opposite Eric's desk and sat down, knees and ankles together and hands resting demurely in her lap, like she was taking tea with the Queen of England. Bubba remained near the door, shuffling uncomfortably back and forth on his feet. I didn't know if his actions were real or if he was putting on his show for Pam's sake. A quick mind-peek around the room revealed absolutely nothing, just three pleasantly void, undead brains; apparently my great-grandfather's potion was working.

I lowered my shields a little, focusing on Bubba, and a jumble of thoughts hit me all at once like a slap in the face: he couldn't believe Pam would just barge into Eric's office like that and he was really embarrassed at having caught Eric and me in an awkward moment and would Pam hurry up and get the hell out of Eric's office already so we could get down to business so he could go hunt some cats.

_Ick!_ My shields went up faster than you could say _Here, kitty_. I could feel Eric's confusion through the bond, and it was no wonder. My emotions were all over the map, and I hadn't even had the chance to tell him about drinking Niall's potion. Eric must have sensed my inner turmoil because I felt his arms tighten around my waist. "Pam, take Bubba out front and buy him a Blood," he commanded his child.

Bubba shot a wary look in my direction, and I was sorely tempted to lower my shields to hear what he thought about having to drink TrueBlood. But I didn't.

As soon as we were alone again, Eric lifted me up and spun me around so I was straddling his muscular thighs. "Now, lover, tell me what is wrong," his voice was firm, yet gentle.

I puffed air between my cheeks and Eric's eyes closed momentarily as my breath brushed across his face. I swear I saw his nostrils flare slightly, and I filed that moment away for later reflection. "Well, Claudine brought me this potion from Niall," I began. Eric quirked a dubious eyebrow, but I continued.

"Niall somehow knew I suddenly had the ability to hear vampire thoughts. How he knows, I have no clue. Anyway, he sent Claudine with this potion to keep me from reading vamps, unless I want to." I could almost hear the wheels churning in Eric's mind, but I held out a hand to stop him before he could speak. "Don't ask me how it works – Claudine said it was _magic_ – but, unless I consciously lower my shields, vampire brains are blank to me again."

Eric's face echoed none of his thoughts as he contemplated my news. I knew I could have lowered my shields and learned exactly what he was thinking, but somehow that just didn't seem fair. Not having to block myself from his brain was one of the things that made him so attractive to me in the first place (along with other qualities that we won't mention here) and I made a mental vow to only read him when it was an absolute necessity.

After a few minutes of silent pondering, Eric spoke. "When we renewed our blood bond I did not know it would result in this enhancement of your telepathic powers. I imagined our connection would be even stronger than before, but I never realized it would be to that extent." _Was he trying to apologize to me for my revamped (pardon the pun) ability?_ "Your grandfather's gift should alleviate some of the additional stress this enhancement has caused you."

Eric's musings caught me completely off guard, so I thought carefully before I spoke. "The thing that stresses me the most is being able to hear you," I told him in a quiet voice. "All the others – I can handle them. They're no different than blocking humans; I just won't have the peace around vamps I used to have.

"But you – hearing you is different. It's like it throws our relationship off balance…makes it too one-sided. I admit, being able to read you could have certain…strategic advantages…but not where our personal relationship is concerned. I'm hoping Niall's potion will work well enough that it won't cause problems for us."

Eric quirked an eyebrow at me and one corner of his mouth curved up in a half-smirk. "So you're finally admitting we have a _relationship_," he deadpanned.

I had a snappy comeback all ready for Eric when the door flew open again and Pam stormed in, looking like rage personified. She had a bar swipe in her hand, furiously rubbing at the front of the semi-sheer black bustier she was wearing. Bubba followed a few steps behind her, a sheepish look on his face, but with eyes that sparkled with mischief. I was sure I didn't want to know what had gone on between the two of them in the bar.

"Do you know what this cretin did?" Pam bellowed at Eric.

The bond sizzled with tension, but Eric's expression was patronizing as he calmly spoke to Pam. "I do not. Suppose you enlighten me, Pamela."

I couldn't believe Eric was letting Pam get away with talking to him like she did. But Pam continued, undaunted. "He took one drink of his TrueBlood and spewed it out all over my brand new bustier! I told him to get the A negative, but he insisted on getting O positive instead, and you know how disgusting O positive is. And now it's all over the front of my new LaPerla that cost me four hundred dollars!"

I gasped in spite of myself. I couldn't believe anyone would pay that kind of money for a few square inches of lace and gauze.

"I told you I was sorry, Miss Pam," Bubba said meekly. "I thought maybe a different flavor wouldn't be so bad, but you know nothing tastes like—"

"Oh, spare me," Pam huffed at Bubba. "No one in their right mind eats cats."

"Just send me the dry cleaning bill, Pam, and I will take care of it." Eric spoke to Pam like he was talking to a petulant child, which almost made me giggle, because I figured, in a way, she was.

I looked at Bubba.

Bubba looked at Eric.

Eric looked at Pam.

"Well, I'm going to change clothes, then I'm going back out front," Pam announced, one hand on the door knob. "I don't want to be anywhere close in case another _accident_ happens."

The tension left the room like air being let out of a balloon as soon as Pam slammed the door. Eric pulled me into his lap yet again and looked sternly at Bubba. "OK, let us get down to business. Tell me what you learned today."

**_TBC_**

_**A/N** -- Thanks to all of you who continue to read, review, and PM this story. I heart you all -- hard! I've had most of this chapter done for a while, but I hit some major walls in trying to finish. I promise I'm not going to drop this story, but between caring for my terminally ill grandmother and some recent health issues of my own, RL has been kicking my ass lately. I do appreciate you sticking with me, even through the droughts. This chapter came to you unbeta'd, so I apologize for any errors._


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